Image: By Mark Moz @ Flickr, [CC BY 2.0]
Property managers have many demands on their time. A lot of time can be spent making sure payments from tenants are on time, dealing with Solicitors in relation to late payments or files which have gone legal, not to mention the constant need for repairs and maintenance issues to be resolved. The result of this is that if you are not organized, you can easily get drawn into the minutiae of day-to-day issues and end up firefighting and distracted from your prioritized agenda.
Property managers have many demands on their time. A lot of time can be spent making sure payments from tenants are on time, dealing with Solicitors in relation to late payments or files which have gone legal, not to mention the constant need for repairs and maintenance issues to be resolved. The result of this is that if you are not organized, you can easily get drawn into the minutiae of day-to-day issues and end up firefighting and distracted from your prioritized agenda.
Focusing on your business goals is what every business owner is eager to do and working to eliminate any distractions can be the key to achieving this. However, you also need to balance this with the need for excellent customer service.
Among the interesting statistics quoted by Tricia Morris on her infographic published in June 2013 on Parature is the following: It takes twelve positive customer experiences to make up for one unresolved bad one. http://www.parature.com/infographic-financialcustserv/
Bearing this in mind, ensuring that all inbound calls are answered and dealt with correctly will result in a positive customer experience for tenants and property owners alike.
One possible solution to the aforementioned problems is to use an outsourced call answering service. A call answering service is dedicated to ensuring that all calls are answered and because they are focused entirely on this, they will ensure that each and every call is handled promptly, professionally and logged.
Some property management companies provide twenty-four-hour call cover where the customer can ring the office in case of an emergency. Using a Call Centre for your companies out of hours calls is a cost-effective solution. In such instances, you need only be contacted in genuine emergency cases and messages can be taken for all other calls.
Outsourcing customer service functions can be a very cost-effective way of freeing up the property managers’ time to work on current projects. Instead of getting drawn into the day-to-day issues, he/she can focus on growing his/her business and achieving his/her business goals. Using such a service can also give your property management company a more professional image.
Some of the services which are offered by such companies are the following:
• Professional Telephone Answering Service.
• Business Address.
• Tele-conferencing facilities.
• Conference Room Rental.
• Outbound call campaigns – credit control, database cleansing etc.
• Out of hours emergency call answering.
A lot of companies that provide outsourced call answering services offer a one-week free trial. During this period you can use their services to experience the benefits such a service can offer you and your property management company. Picking one which has the ISO accreditation will ensure you receive service of the highest standard.
