Apartment Customer Service
Elevating the Hospitality Experience in Multifamily Housing
Photo by Alexandr Popadin on Unsplash
Hospitality in the multifamily space refers to the level of service and amenities offered to residents in an apartment community or other multifamily housing development. In recent years, there has been an increasing focus on elevating the hospitality experience in multifamily housing as developers and property managers seek to attract and retain residents in a competitive market.
Multifamily properties incorporate hospitality elements by offering a range of amenities and services similar to those found in hotels or resorts. This can include fitness centers, pools, outdoor grilling and eating areas, business centers, and services such as package delivery and dry cleaning.
The other aspect of hospitality in multifamily is the customer service provided to prospects and residents. This can include responsive maintenance and repair services, concierge-style assistance with tasks such as booking plant watering or dog walking services, and regular social and recreational events for residents.
In addition to amenities and services, some multifamily properties also incorporate technology to enhance the hospitality experience. For example, some properties offer virtual tours, online leasing options, and innovative home technologies that allow residents to control various aspects of their living environment from their phones, such as thermostat settings and access to delivery services.
Overall, the trend toward hospitality in the multifamily space is driven by the desire to create a more comfortable, convenient, and enjoyable living experience for residents. Multifamily properties can differentiate themselves by offering a wide range of amenities and services and excellent customer service.
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Changing Perspective
In March 2011, I wrote about changing up the way you think about prospects and residents. “Prospects and residents are human beings and or people first. Think of it this way, treat them as prospects or consumers and you are treating them according to your needs. Turn that around and treat them as people or humans and you are treating them according to their needs.”
Earlier this year the post Business is Personal, discussed being in service of the whole humans who work for and serve the business. On the surface, these two admonitions may appear to be in conflict, but I believe they are two sides of the same coin.
Hot Under The Collar
Many times, when a resident calls the home office, the caller is hot under the collar, feeling that their needs haven’t been met or that they have fundamentally been disrespected. The follow-up conversation with the site team often runs along the same lines – they feel that the resident violated policy, was rude, and want to know that the company ‘has their back’ in the conflict – often quoting some form of evidence that they were right, and the resident is wrong.
In this right vs. wrong mindset, there are no winners. Either/or is almost always a sucker’s choice and leaves at least one party feeling maligned and misunderstood.
Pressing Buttons
I know from personal experience that some residents seem to press all the buttons and when that happens, it is easy to get caught up in an emotional hailstorm. But when my buttons are pressed, it is MY responsibility. How I manage those feelings and how I respond are completely within my control. It isn’t the resident’s fault if I ‘lose it’. To paraphrase Viktor Frankl, there is power in the space between stimulus and response. We have the power to choose and, in our response lies the opportunity for growth.
When a business accepts the responsibility to act in service of its team members with a culture that actively removes barriers to healthy communication, it promotes a standard of psychological safety. In that climate, it becomes easier to engage in difficult conversations and team members learn how to resolve conflicts without defaulting to triggered emotional responses.
You Win – I Win – We Win
When the overall stated goal is to generate better outcomes for everyone instead of winning at all costs, it increases the likelihood that residents will feel heard, and their issues will be resolved in a way that benefits them.
Ultimately, the business wins when the team members do, and we all benefit when our customer wins.
What are you doing to create winning situations for your team members and customers? Share your stories with us!
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Episode 782 | Feature Creep
In this episode, we talk about consumer fatigue. It’s a real concept – my gut tells me to pay attention.
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ApartmentHacker Podcast Weekly Recap Episodes 26-30
Posting from the archives until we catch up to current episodes of ApartmentHacker vlog.
This week, I discuss customer service, telephone calls, candor, and war games.
I hope you enjoy and if you feel so inclined, please subscribe and leave a rating on iTunes, Google Play, or Anchor.
Episode 26 | ApartmentHacker | Don’t Make Me to Repeat Myself
Episode 27 | ApartmentHacker | I Love Listening to Telephone Calls
Episode 28 | ApartmentHacker | Hit me between the eyes
Episode 29 | ApartmentHacker | Wow the Customer
Episode 30 | ApartmentHacker | War Games
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ApartmentHacker Weekly Podcast Recap Episodes 21-25
In ApartmentHacker episodes 21-25, I discuss my thoughts on everything from education to my desire to be enriched in the multifamily space. Buckle up and enjoy. And, push back where you see fit in the comment section below.
Episode 21 | ApartmentHacker | Education
Episode 22 | ApartmentHacker | Effort
Episode 23 | ApartmentHacker | You read What?
Episode 24 | ApartmentHacker | Serve the Customer
Episode 25 | ApartmentHacker | I Want to be Enriched