Create a customer-centric business environment and anticipate reaping immense benefits for your management team, your collective tenantry and for your overall reputation. Having a business model that is tenant-centric should be the primary concern for every property manager in today’s day and age. The popular slogan “ The customer is always right” has never rang more true. In today’s world consumers want their satisfaction guaranteed, and they don’t want to have to wait for it.
However, as a property manager you know that this isn’t always possible. With full schedules on your end and numerous things to attend to, returning that call from a tenant may just fall to the wayside. Tenants want to feel heard and tended to. They want to feel that someone is available and willing to respond to their needs in a timely manner. Having an online portal is sure to create a tenant-centric atmosphere. It will ensure your tenants will have a place where they can voice their concerns, inquiries or requests at any time of day or night. When the tenants are happy the managers can focus on doing their job right and can enjoy the process as well.
Let’s explore some of the important components that comprise a tenant-centric approach.
1.Anticipate Tenant Needs.
A healthy dose of prevention can go a long way in keeping tenants happy. Welcome the tenant through a welcome letter, welcome email, or in person when possible. This initial friendly gesture will create a positive first impression and ensure the tenant that you are out for their welfare. Tell the tenant how and where he should pay rent and provide essential emergency contact information. Provide a clean and fresh unit with all repairs taken care of before the new tenant even moves in. Tenants who are provided with a clean, livable apartment and all necessary information from the get-go, will likely have less complaints and grievances in the future.
2. Be Easily Accessible.
There is nothing more frustrating for a tenant than a management that is simply unavailable to address their needs. Set up a system where someone can be on call around the clock or a message center where tenants will know they will be heard within a 24 hour period. Having on-site staff who are amiable, knowledgeable and ready to help is an invaluable asset to your company. They can act as the “face” of your management and will provide the tenants with that sought after feeling of goodwill and competence.
3. Provide Proactive Customer Service.
When tenant needs do arise, be sure you have a proper framework of customer service in place. Who will receive these messages and requests? How can you ensure they will not be lost or forgotten? Can you ensure they will be communicated effectively to the right team member who can address the need directly? Are vendors and workers connected to this system? Or, are they out of the loop which will make for sloppy and ineffective communication? These are critical questions that must be addressed when setting up a proper tenant-centric approach for your company.
4. Adopt Customer Service Tools
This component is pivotal in establishing a professional customer service structure. Make it about the tenant. Empower the tenant to be able to take care of their needs when, and how they wish. Make paying rent a simple and effortless endeavor. Allowing them to pay on an online portal will facilitate smooth and on-time payments without the necessity of the writing, delivering and depositing of paper cheques. This will save time and effort for both the tenant and the management team.
Create a safe space for all tenant feedback, complaints or requests on a messaging center on an online portal. This will allow for tenant expression and proper filing and organization of all messages. The management can access this communication module as well, and respond in real time or near-real time to the great satisfaction of the tenant. These messages can also be accessed for future reference or even legal reasons if the need arises in the future. Everyone likes to feel heard. And sometimes that’s all it takes to diffuse a viable situation with an irate tenant.
5. Create an Onboarding Process
Grant the tenant the feeling of being taken under the wing of the management from the very beginning. Provide the feeling of consistent and professional attention through a practical and efficacious, online onboarding process. Allow for a smooth transition starting with the application process all the way through until the move in date. This will ensure accuracy, efficiency and uninterrupted communication and progress with the myriad of details that have to be tended to when onboarding a new tenant.
The MyPortal by Payquad Solution
Payquad offers a most professional online tenant portal to cover all your bases. Our leading tenant portal has an impressive arrangement of practical and innovative features, that will serve to keep both managers and tenants consistently accommodated and content. The software has been built solely on our belief that a customer-centric approach is top priority. True to this belief, we work with our clients to consistently deliver upgraded and top-notch solutions in the industry.
Join thousands of satisfied customers and book your free demo today!
