Should you say;
"Thank for calling [community name] this is [name]. How can I help you today?"
or
"Thank for calling [community name] this is [name]. How may I help you today?"
or
"Thank for calling [community name] this is [name]. I can help you"
or
Tell me what you think…
0 Responses
When I worked on site I always used,
“Hello and thank you for calling [property name]! My name is Heather, how can we make your day just a little bit better?”
People remembered that and really seemed to like it over all.
I love that Heather. Thank you for the comment. M
Mike-
With our brand we really push “Home” in everything we do. I think you need to think about your brand when choosing your greeting. Of course, as Lisa would say, don’t make it too gimmicky.
For us (and our “Home is” brand) what fits is, “Welcome Home to [property name] this is [first name], how can i help you?
To me it’s not too cheesy/gimmicky, but isn’t the same as everyone else that says “Thank you for calling…”
Mark,
Thank you for the comment. I could not agree more with the gimmick thought.
I really like the word home, it fits.
M
When I train my leasers now, I do an entire 5 minutes on the “At Home” philosophy. It’s been VERY beneficial to my leasing agents and makes them a lot better in the field. Way to push the “Home”!
I “borrowed” this from a former co-worker and friend of mine who is an amazingly talented trainer, troubleshooter, and motivator. I have been using it regularly for the past year and half and I constantly get positive feedback from callers.
“You’ll love your life at [Insert Community Name]! This is David speaking. How can I improve your day?”
The key to making this work is to be very enthusiastic (I almost scream into the receiver) and to be prepared for some ridicule from your co-workers. They may tease at first, but they’ll probably change their opinion once they realize that people remember talking to you more often than them.
My only comment comes from a resident’s perspective. I hate calling a property and hearing something like, “Thank you for calling XYZ, I can help you find your new home!”
In my opinion, too many communities forget who their customers are, and their greeting gives away their true intentions. If I was a resident and heard that greeting, my instant reaction would be that they must value talking to prospects more than their actual residents. They care about a sale more than making their residents feel satisfied. You may think I’m exaggerating, but it’s a sure-fire way to make your residents feel as if they are a lower importance than prospects.
B,
Thank you the perspective. Your comment is spot on and very important to keep in mind when answering the phone.
Hope all is well in your world.
Take care.
M
I’d be on the receiving end of these greetings. I always prefer a simple and especially short greeting when I call a business. I find the long (more than a couple of words) greetings very robotic. I feel like the other person has been compelled by management to say this and he/she would rather not say it. 2cents.
I hate, hate, hate cheesy greetings. I agree with BH– When I call a business, I want it short and sweet. I don’t want to hear “It’s a beautiful day at the XYZ apartments, a Blah-Blah-Blah Managed property, how can I make you smile today?”
Seriously. Just give me your name and tell me I didn’t dial the wrong number.
I say, “Thank you for calling the Estates, this is Jennifer,”
I say it very nicely and upbeat, and I get plenty enough positive feedback without offering to show them the sunshine and fluff their pillows.
🙂
Hmm…
I understand Brent’s point, especially since a popular complaint is that we (read: apartment managers) stop being friendly to people after they move-in. While I’d like to think that’s not the case, it’s easy to alienate someone at “hello,” especially when the “hello” isn’t welcoming them (it’s specifically geared toward a new/future/prospective resident).
Yea, it’s corny (or even “cheesy” to use Jennifer’s word), but corny sells. Corny is also memorable. When was the last time someone asked you how they could improve your day? As long as you say it sincerely and follow-up to whatever they request to improve their day, I’ve found that residents and non-residents alike enjoy hearing me answer the phone when they call.
Maybe it’s just living in Atlanta… People aren’t too busy to say something nice (or to have someone on the phone take the extra time to ask them how they’re doing). That’s not to say you don’t do the same thing where you are, but I just think that it’s more important in our industry to be different than to be like everyone else selling 4 walls and a door. Besides, it actually cheers me up to say it, thus making the conversation more up-beat and positive (by the way – high energy sells too).
Happy Leasing!
I wonder if calls are down and emails are up as the first wave of Gen Y moves through the apartment space. That is to say, will the telephone greeting become less and less meaningful? Just wondering…
Excellent point Mike. I know our traffic in general has been down this year, and I conclude that is partially due to all the information one is able to get online. People just don’t have to drive around anymore looking for apartments. The last statistics I heard were that people used to narrow down to 5-7, but now it’s more like 2-3 that they actually visit.
Emails are definitely up for us, and I anticipate that phone volume will decrease slightly. In my heart I have to still believe with such a large decision as your home people still buy from people. As much as we can automate the systems, there will be those moments when our customers want to interact with a human begin to help solidify their decisions. No robot, computer, auto-response, or system can replace the touch an actual person brings.
Mark,
I can not agree more with the value of the human touch, it makes all the difference in the world.
I answer: ” Its a beautiful day at Tressa this is Ashley how many i help or ( or) how may I exceed your expectations.
A,
Thanks for taking the time to comment here – it means a great deal.
I like the greeting – what do you generally do to exceed people's expectations?
Sorry, My grammar in my previous comment was ridiculous.
I am what many people would call an emotional person, not in the way of crying all the time. But I am emotionally invested in everything I do; wether it's family or my work. I sincerely want to find our clients/future residents a place that they can call home. I help them to “feel” their new home. I spend alot of time with my future residents, going thoroughly through the floor plan, utilizing the Lay-It-Out Mats. (which I highly suggest) We are a modern brand new apartment community with compact and unique floor plans. I do anything I can for any one of my clients. (obviously with-in reason and fair-housing laws) They can tell that Im not just some used car sales man trying to reach my quota. Yes, it's taxing on me, but in a lease up in downtown Seattle, it sets me aside from all the other Tax-credit properties in the area. I know it's vague, but it's not just any one thing I do in particular. It's the entire process I make it persoanlized for whatever their needs may be.
PS Thank you for all of your amazing ideas, I frequent your blog, it's so amazingly helpful.
Ashley
I love the passion – it's not to be underrated in a market place that is thirsty for people who care deeply about what they do. I do believe, at the end of the day, the only thing that trumps location, location, location is people, people people. And, not just your everyday ordinary people – people who have passion, charisma and an overarching need to serve. That said, you will go far in this business.
What company do you work for in Seattle. I lived there for nearly five years and worked with Equity Residential.
Thank you for the kind words about the blog – it is a passion of mine. Love it.
Feel free to participate anytime as it adds a ton of value to the space. You would be amazed at how many people are moved more by the comments to a post than the post itself. You have a voice and what's cool – a space to share it.
Take care and keep being compelling
I work for FPI Management. I definately will post my thoughts Thanks 🙂