Listen to Your Residents Complaints A Post by Eric
Eric Brown · · 6 Comments
Every now and again, you get an up close and personal example of various life events. Yesterday was one of those regarding Social Media and the Power is exudes. We have been yammering about the power that the Residents/Customer has today with all of the various means and methods to be heard, yet if it hasn’t happened to you, it seems like someone else’s problem. It won’t happen to You/Your Property/Your Company, No Dell Hell here, right,………………………., well in due time, it likely will. My old boss, turned mentor Jonathan Holtzman, Chairman of Village Green Companies had one of many sayings, but one that has stuck with me is “Do you have first hand information” and to him, if it wasn’t first hand information, it wasn’t credible. Well, my story here is First hand Information, so I hope you find it credible.
Perhaps some of you heard about the incident at the Obama Rally in Detroit a few days ago, and then what unfolded yesterday, within less than a few hours, the story had spread all over the country, regarding two Muslim females not being allowed to sit in camera view during the rally. The story here is not the point; the point is the person who created the original thread and the blog posts just before lunch yesterday was one of our residents. He is a quite sort, stops into our office to see us regularly, and is by no means a radical type person; However, he was outraged and was going to be heard regarding what had happen. And heard he was, by the end of the day yesterday his blog posts were picked by CNN, USA Today, Rush Limbaugh and the Today Show, along with being all over the internet and political blogs. Now, the topic here is certainly highly energized, however if you think that your Resident/Customer won’t follow a similar route if you aren’t listening to them and or their problem, you are in denial and folly. The collateral damage from not listening will be significant.
The real point here is this, Do not fear Problems, they are opportunities wrapped differently, BUT moreover, Do Not Avoid them, Residents/Customers/Consumers today will be heard, so Listen, Engage, Embrace this new media and what it offers. Become as transparent as you can, address the residents issues, and when you do, that energy is redirected and you can actually create Resident Evangelists,