The New Customer Service: Social Media in the Multifamily Industry
Posted on Thu, Mar 24, 2011
I can’t imagine that anyone in the multifamily apartment industry would disagree that customer service affects the bottom line. Unfortunately, circumstances that arise might cause us to forget our manners or avoid dealing with various issues. However, in this age of technology and social media, expectations have greatly changed in regards to how and how quickly you must provide customer service.
It’s a lot harder to avoid customer service issues when they are presented face-to-face or over the phone. It’s also a lot harder (for some) to be rude face-to-face or over the phone than it is when you’re sitting behind a computer screen. So how do you continue to respond quickly and maintain a positive attitude? Here are some tips for customer service over email, social media, and property community portals.
Email: If you pick up the phone when a resident calls, you have only so many polite options to end the call. However, if a new email arrives in your inbox, it’s pretty easy to just glance at it or mark it as read and decide you’ll deal with it later. But guess what? That’s just as rude as hanging up on someone in the middle of a phone call. Trust me, I’m the first to admit that when I’ve got a million things to do, it’s not easy to answer every email right when they come in. The problem is that a number of them end up falling through the cracks and don’t get answered, leaving you with frustrated residents. Make sure to set up your own system for responding to emails so this doesn’t happen.
Social Media: We’ve already discussed some customer service issues in recent posts about Facebook and Twitter, but I don’t think it can be said enough now that more and more properties and management companies are creating accounts. Plus, these issues can pop up in other forms such as FourSquare and ApartmentRatings.com. When you choose not to answer an email, probably only you and the sender will know. But when it’s on one of these social media outlets, anyone – including potential residents – can see what your residents are saying. And potential residents can see what YOU are (or aren’t) saying. But don’t just respond because it looks good, do it because you actually care about your residents. Remember, first impressions are great, but eventually people realize if your customer service efforts are just for looks.
Community Portal: It’s rare to come across a property that doesn’t have a resident portal for rent payment and maintenance requests. But what about a true community portal that incorporates social aspects to foster community and retain residents in your apartment building? These types of tools are invaluable, but you can’t always control what your residents say, and there may be a complaint or two. First: be glad these complaints are staying within the virtual walls of your own community instead of being posted for the world to see. Second: don’t delete it! Take this opportunity to acknowledge the complaint for other residents to see, and then determine if a solution can also be posted publicly or if you should handle the matter privately.
What customer service issues do you face in this new age of technology and social media? How do you handle issues that are no longer contained in your office, but are posted for the world to see?