Lorna Monks, an Associate in the Property Management Team at Brethertons, gives us her thoughts on the keys to great customer service and client retention.
It was a Sunday evening and the following day was to be my first day back at work since going on Maternity Leave 12 months ago. I had popped into the office on a couple of occasions but other than that, had had no customer interactions and I was feeling a little apprehensive. I then remembered something a customer once said to me several years ago:
“We see Brethertons as an extension of our team”
Remembering this put me at ease; the customers that I would be returning to are a part of the Brethertons family.
A customer, in every line of business, is your most important stakeholder. Without customers a business cannot exist. Get to know your customer and their business, understand their plan and what their goals are. As in everyday life, what is important to one person may not be as important to another so you need to be fluid in how you work and adapt your approach as necessary to support their needs.
A Tenant’s Perspective
It is likely that you manage an apartment block which consists of flats that are held on long leases. A leaseholder will hold the property for a fixed period of time, usually quite a lengthy one, being more than 21 years, so it is important to have a good relationship with your leaseholders in order to manage the block effectively.
Communication is key in maintaining relationships and having as few headaches as possible. The best advice is to listen to your leaseholders, get round a table with a cup of tea, hold actual meetings and hear what’s important to them. Don’t rely on an email- if you can’t get to the site, pick up the phone and talk to them about what’s important and offer an ear. After all, these are their homes.
It is likely that you won’t be able to wave a magic wand and give them everything they want- there is a lease after all and services do cost money to provide! You can, however, involve the leaseholder and give them a better understanding as to why works can/cannot be undertaken, why they will take a certain amount of time and cost a certain amount of money.
Knowledge and understanding is paramount. If the lease doesn’t allow for something, tell them. Be clear if something cannot be done and maybe suggest a suitable alternative where possible. If it’s against health and safety regulations, explain the consequences to them and how you are looking after their best interests.
Be transparent in your communications and update your customers should a situation change.
Whilst some information has to be sent formally, people are always on the go now, perhaps they would rather be updated with a text message or on social media rather than a letter. Check what their preference is in terms of communication (you’ll be doing a lot of it!) and perhaps Joanna likes to be called Jo?
The leaseholders will look to you as the experts to protect and manage their assets so get to know them; listen to them, empower them with knowledge. We all know the power of word of mouth in our general day to day lives – if you have a good relationship with your leaseholders, word will spread. Reputation means so much in this industry so do everything you can to look after your leaseholders.
Think of your own experiences; customers use us time and time again because we deliver results but offer “expertise with a personal touch”.
Customers need to know that they are in safe hands and that you have the expertise and knowledge to best tackle their issues.
It’s important to be transparent with your customers, let them know the strategies, potential pit-falls and any costs upfront. Keep your customers informed on their cases and be realistic in terms of timescales and expectations, this will all help to build up trust and rapport.
The best thing to do? Treat your customers how you would like to be treated yourself!
You can get in touch with the Brethertons team via their website, by calling one of their offices or by emailing [email protected].
