Customer service - noun - the assistance and advice provided by a company to those who buy or use its products or services.
The Dentist Experience
“I hate over-the-top customer service,” my friend told me. “I went to the dentist for a cleaning and you could tell they must have talked about how important it is to build a good relationship with customers. But it went too far and backfired.”
“How so?” I asked.
“They kept talking to me and talking to me. I just wanted to get my teeth cleaned. And the hygienist was trying to have a conversation with me and was even asking me questions and I just stared at her, trying to tell her through my eyes, ‘I can’t answer, your hands are in my mouth!’ Plus, I’m twenty-three, but she was talking to me like I was twelve.”
Needless to say, she found a new dentist.
The Airline Experience
“I never want to use that airline again,” another friend said to me. Her reasons were the opposite of the friend’s above. “I had a nice trip then when I get to the airport early in the morning they tell me I don’t have a ticket. I show them the paper in my hand that states I do, indeed, have a ticket. They tell me they sent an email that one leg of my flight had been cancelled so I no longer have an itinerary. I check my email. They never sent me anything. It took thirty minutes to get them to give me a seat on the flight I originally had a seat on. The second leg was the one that had been cancelled.
“At the next airport I’m just trying to get home. They keep telling me they can’t help me. After five visits to the customer service desk over two hours they finally put me on their last flight going to my city. I was supposed to work a half day. That didn’t happen…”
Oy vey.
Thoughts on Customer Service
What does this mean for property managers and landlords? Helping those who rent your units is a large part of your job description and you know it’s important. Both stories I shared demonstrate the two extremes of customer service. Being over-the-top doesn’t work and neither does avoiding the issue. So what is the happy medium?
Several factors go into the answer of this question, such as personality, type of issue, type of customer you are dealing with, and culture of the company, but here are four points to consider about how you will address customer service-
Efficient - time is everything. Address issues promptly, resolve them quickly if possible, and if not, keep in touch with the customer to let them know what is being done to fix it.
Helpful - don’t be another roadblock. You’re there to assist, to answer questions, and give options.
Fits the circumstances - asking questions while cleaning someone’s teeth is not appropriate for the situation. As a property manager, there are laws, such as Fair Housing and Equal Opportunity, that pre-determine what you can and can’t discuss with potential residents.
Emulate - look to examples of customer service you admire and appreciate. It’s a place to start and personal experience will teach you what to change.
