10 points to consider when handling complaints in Property Management
1. Speed
The speed of us responding to a complaint is vital. For every minute we are waiting to respond to a complaint, the individual could be working themselves up even more, and looking for more issues to bring up. Consider is there a set standard for a response time in your business, and are clients aware of what this is?
2. Avoid Conflict
Regardless if we are communicating through writing, in person, or on the phone – make sure you are doing this in a calm state and avoid any further conflict. If the end outcome is going to be you and the person will part ways professionally regardless, you would prefer not to create any further damage in the process.
3. Allow them to vent
You might have some very setup and angry when they are complaining, although interrupting will only give that person a moment to gather more energy to keep going. Allow the person to vent all their frustration without interruption and whilst doing so…
4. Listen carefully
When we listen carefully to a complaint, you might find the source of the issue is actually not to do with your agency, but something else altogether. Possibly the person is tired of searching for properties and being rejected, There might be financial stress and your message is the ‘last straw’, or it could be something completely different
5. Consider their view
After diligently listening to them this can make it easier to consider their point of view. You might even consider you have done everything technically correct, although there was still an outcome that left the individual frustrated.
6. Show empathy
Take account of what you have heard to reflect back on your understanding of what has been communicated. The more you check with the other person, the more comfortable he or she will feel that you are really trying to understand and empathize with them, which could be all that is needed to resolve it.
7. Apology
Even if you feel the complaint isn’t justified, apologizing will take a great step towards disarming the individual so you can have a healthy discussion about the way forward.
8. Show improvement
Everyone in life will have made a mistake at some stage in the past, and they know they will again in the future too. By owning the mistake and showing your plan for improvement, they will have a greater level of respect for you.
9. Solution
If you are able to come to an agreement on the way forward, it is important to confirm this with them. You might want to do this is writing in case you ever need to refer back to it in the future.
10. Follow up Once we have done all of the hard work to resolve a complaint, the last thing we want to have done is for the actions not to get completed as discussed. Make sure there is a good follow up process and the client knows
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