It's the Little Things

Regardless of the property, it's the little things—such as free donuts in the morning or a welcome mat for new tenants—that make the difference.

by Matt Chapuran

 "Making your community stand out can be a simple matter of displaying some creativity and sensitivity to demonstrate that your apartment complex is also a home," says Becca Wilson of Spherexx.com, a computer consulting firm. "We're all trying to differentiate ourselves but we're also all selling four walls and a floor. Very often, owners and managers don't need to go deep into their budgets to do so."

Mix Automation with Customization
Wilson emphasizes an on-line, always live, approach to stay in touch with residents. Many residents prefer using the property management Web sites for service requests, because of its convenience and because a paper trail is automatically generated.

A Web site can afford prospective residents the opportunity to schedule appointments online and lets current residents forward e-mail addresses to your office, streamlining the process of resident referrals, often the best advertising. Through Web sites property managers can survey residents and learn how the staff is performing; likewise, residents can recognize particularly stellar service. Providing convenience can be a big plus, especially when, as Wilson notes, "they may not be able to correspond with you until midnight, when they have a minute or two to think."

Wilson stresses that the Internet is a complement, not a substitute, to one-on-one interactions with your residents. Small gestures, such as taking a morning to personally hand out donuts at the door, can help your residents connect names with faces and keep communication open. Other suggested events, such a bringing in a chef to demonstrate how to make five terrific meals, each in less than thirty minutes, emphasize the property's sensitivity to convenience.

You've Got a Friend
Logan Valasek, community director area manager at Ridge Parc Apartment Homes in Duncanville, Texas, offers a complimentary carpet cleaning to his residents when they renew. Having a professional inspect the carpet allows him to forecast how much life the carpet has left and the cleaning can also extend its life. The cost, roughly $20/unit is usually absorbed by one month's worth of the regular rent increase imposed at lease renewal.

But there are ways to satisfy your residents year-round, Valasek says. Putting out complimentary welcome mats that read, "Welcome to my home here at …" not only lend a personal touch to the move-in but also gives the property another chance to display its logo. A well-organized property manager can surprise residents on their birthdays by leaving door hangers or helium balloons. "Little gestures like that can show that management is more of a friend to them," Valasek says.

Treat Residents with CLASS
Amy Alred, vice president of Atlanta-based CLASS (Certified Leasing and Sales Specialists), has collected dozens of cost-effective marketing strategies from CLASS's team of leasing specialists. Among her favorites is a bi-monthly telethon. Once every 60 days, assemble everyone on your team on a weeknight and call your residents, asking them, ‘How is everything in your apartment?' and ‘What else can we be doing for you?"

According to Alred, the number one reason that people move is that they don't feel connected to the office or office staff. Alred pushes companies to train their staff to consistently ask, ‘What else can I be doing?' and to actively listen to the answers. Her strategies provoke the staff to make connections to their resident population, often in inexpensive ways.

Alred encourages property managers to think creatively. Offer car detailing or movie tickets. A $25 gift card to a restaurant shows that the staff cares about the resident but also provides the resident a memorable event. One popular giveaway has become a $25 gift card to the local gas station, something that demonstrates sensitivity to rising gas prices.

Personal Service
Personal service means more than budgeting for giveaways and knick-knacks. It means showing your residents that you and your staff will go the extra mile. In developing and executing a strategy with your team, keep the following in mind:

        · Make Contact. E-mail is useful but residents appreciate hearing your voice. Even after a
             work request has been closed out, it costs nothing to call a resident to ask if the service
             was what they expected.

        · Listen to your residents. Just because a pizza party was a big hit last year, or five years
             ago, doesn't mean that it's what your current residents are looking for. Some will
             emphasize convenience, some value. Be sure to tailor your approach to them.

           · Follow through. The worst thing you can do is promise personal service and then fail to
             deliver. Capture your requests in writing and ensure that all promises have been kept.        
             Avoid using post-it notes or other small, easily lost slips of paper.

 

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