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Likeability Factor #4
How to be Likable to the Folks Who Call your Community �Home�
Our �Likeability Factor� posts have focused on being likable to your rental prospects.� Let�s now look at that paying customer who, frankly, is much more important than a prospect.��How do you stay likable to your beloved residents?
Start By Liking Your Residents –�What is your attitude toward those people who call your community �Home�?� Are they someone you strive to serve and provide the best housing possible?� Or do residents simply mean PROBLEMS to you and your staff? People like people who like them.� It is the way we are all wired.� Why would it be different with your residents? To be likable, first show that you like your Residents.� Here are some tips:
- Listen More than You Talk – Listening is an art that many of us are still refining.� As an onsite apartment professional, you have many hats to wear and tasks to accomplish every day.� When a resident calls or visits the office, it is tempting to deal with the �issue� as quickly as possible so you can move on to the next fire.� You have heard this before and know exactly how to resolve it, right?� Maybe.�Yet, what would happen to your likeability with the resident if you said:? �Hey, that is a problem.� Please have a seat and let me get a bit more information.� I think I can help.�
- Greet Residents with a Smile – Whether in the office or on the property, always have time to say �Hello� and greet the prospect.�Don�t forget the power of the�smile.� You get 100 added likeability points if you greet them by name.� 200 points if you remember their kids� names!
- Don�t Assume�-�Yeah, yeah, I know what happens when you assume.� You make an A@! out of u and me.� Funny.� It is true that when you assume something about a resident and their concerns, you often move too fast and fail to gather the details.� You also miss the chance to listen, smile, and care.� Residents don�t like it when you assume.
- Do What You Say – You�re Going to Do�-�One of the fundamentals of good customer service is to be reliable and a truth-teller.� It is easy to offer unrealistic solutions in the heat of a difficult resident discussion.� All this does is create more grief and resident dissatisfaction.� If you can�t meet a resident�s request, let them know you still care and will try to help. �I�m sorry.� I can�t do that� but what I CAN do is�.�.��
- Do it Right the First Time�– Not only do you respond and do what you said you would, you do it correctly, completely, and with a smile. This is especially important with service requests. One of the biggest resident complaints is poor maintenance service and follow thru.�Maintenance call backs are time-consuming and sometimes discouraging to your service tech.� Residents like you when you do it right the first time!?
- Care���More than an attitude or nice saying on a plaque in the office CARING is an active pursuit of your residents.� Show that you care by your words, smiles, and actions.� It is not just about how you feel toward your residents; it is more about how they feel toward you.
Do Your Residents Like You?
If you are not sure about the answer, consider some of the Likeability Tips in this article.� If you don�t care about the answer to this question, I�m glad you�re not my onsite representative.
