person-to-person contact and dialogue. However, a leasing manager might be out showing apartments or otherwise unavailable when a call comes in. Delayed responses
or calls that disappear altogether can mean lost prospects,
frustrated residents and harried property managers facing
a pile of paper phone messages and sinking occupancy
rates.
PHoNe etiQUette
An emerging solution that can help managers make a
good first impression on prospects and improve service to
residents is call center service, which utilizes live respondents while leveraging many of the software advances
that have streamlined multifamily property marketing,
leasing and resident services in recent years. Blending
new technology such as portals and electronic payment
processing systems with old-fashioned, person-to-person
customer service, call centers offer guaranteed “zero ring”
service. In practice, this means no more generic answering services or leasing office answering machines; instead,
callers speak directly with respondents who are equipped
with real-time information and trained in such multifamily processing and services as leasing, utility billing, maintenance and concierge services. Call centers also offer
a live online chat capability. Call center staff members
perform a valuable reporting function, gathering metrics
on resident satisfaction and how effectively phone traffic
is turning into walk-in traffic.
Call oF dUty
Call centers can be a key part of a manager’s effort to
ensure resident satisfaction and retention. For example,
if a resident calls asking to see a ledger, pay rent or utility
charges, make a service request, or reserve community
amenities, the appropriate call center employee can pull
that resident’s information from the property management database to fulfill and process the request. This
translates to improved resident service and satisfaction.
No call goes unanswered, every caller gets a response and
the action is recorded directly into the property management database.
Furthermore, call centers have proven to help increase
and maintain high occupancy levels. When a prospect
phones, a call center leasing specialist uses the manager’s
property management system to display real-time unit
availability, create a guest card, set up appointments and
Call centers can be a
key part of a manager’s
effort to ensure resident
satisfaction and retention.
even start the application process. The ability to answer
when a prospect calls is very important because it’s an
opportunity to hold leads that might otherwise move
on and look elsewhere if they don’t receive information
promptly.
Dallas-based Lincoln Property Company, AMO®, can
attest to the connection between call centers and occupancy. Before instituting a call center service, one 800-
unit Lincoln multifamily building had 89 percent occupancy and its staff members were missing more than 40
calls per month.
“Within 60 days of instituting a call center, our building
was occupied at 95 percent, with no calls missed,” said
Jennifer Staciokas, vice president of marketing and training at Lincoln.
The ongoing challenges presented by the still-uncertain
economy have intensified the tough competition among
multifamily property managers for occupancy. Resident
retention and the ability to secure new residents will be
important to competing in the marketplace. Call centers
leverage existing tools and technology to ensure intelligent response, which makes a favorable first impression
on prospects and provides satisfying service to residents.
In an era of uncertainty, the promise of call centers rings
true for multifamily managers wishing to ensure they are
poised to lead the marketplace when the economy makes
its upturn. n
Joel r. nelson is a senior writer at
yardi systems.
