The word itself just looks mean and ugly. Last week we experienced two episodes in our leasing office that resonated with me up until now. Two residents entered our leasing office and proceeded to give one of our consultants the "what for" over some very trivial items. Now I understand that resident concerns are important and personal and should not be judged on simple merit but I do think there is a line. Let me share the end result of one of the incidents.
One resident, after speaking in terse and a matter fact character bashing terms had his significant other come in to resolve the matter. Turns out the problem was that the resident mistook our resident referral flier for our resident renewal letter and thought we owed him some rent concessions. Cooler heads prevailed and we got the matter resolved but the actions of the first resident were so inappropriate that the consultant had to remove herself from the situation. An action I applauded at our weekly team meeting.
I applauded her for her wisdom and diplomacy as she never raised her voice or went on the defensive. She simply said sir I need to get another agent to assist you as it does not seem that we are getting anywhere.
Lesson: Remember that solutions are all that people are looking for and that the attacks are a displacement of anger or frustration. And, not all people handle themselves well when displacing. Don’t take it personal.
Here is a quote to remember (not to retort with) next time you are under attack.
"Rudeness is the weak man’s imitation of strength" – Eric Hoffer
Have a famous weekend.
Technorati Tags: mike brewer, customer service, apartment marketing, multifamily management
Powered by ScribeFire.
0 Responses
I would have to agree and applauded your leasing consultant as well. There is a sense of pride and passion that builds in an individual about their community and its procedures.
Especially when you spend more time and energy giving to your job and your co-workers than the ones you love. Then the moment arrives when someone walks into your “den” and talks to you with a lack of respect. The common reaction would be to take personal offense and express anger. It can be difficult to stop, absorb, and react properly as your leasing consultant did.
I agree with the quote. One must also keep in mind that even the greatest people can express rudeness. Therefore, in this industry we have to have empathy, we never know what the individual may be dealing with on a deeper level.