Today’s property managers are under increasing pressure to meet higher service levels. We live in a society where instant gratification has become the norm and everything we want or need is available at the click of a button. Meeting the changing demands of customers is one of the biggest challenges in our industry. Simply put, people expect to be satisfied – otherwise, they’ll move on to someone else. The best way to prevent this isn’t just to keep them happy. It’s to exceed their expectations time after time. Here are four ways to do just that.

Ensure mobile compatibility.

These days, 80% of society owns a smartphone and just about 50% of all website pages are now viewed using a mobile device. To say people are attached to their phones is an understatement. Because of this, property managers have had to adapt in order to meet their clientele where they are, and if you haven’t done so yet, you’re already behind the eight ball.

Make sure your services are easily accessible, your site and software are compatible and your interactions are available via mobile devices. The easier you make life for your clients, the longer they’re likely to stick with you.

Provide self-service options.

Believe it or not, one of the best ways for property managers to ‘wow’ their clients is to let them handle what they need done entirely on their own. This may seem counterintuitive, but remember that instant gratification we mentioned?

Self-service options place the power into the hands of your customers, enabling them to access and/or do whatever they need the moment they need it, whether it’s viewing their online ledger, submitting or checking the status of a maintenance request, running financial reports or something else. As a bonus, these tasks will be removed from your to-do list, freeing you up to focus on other important business initiatives.

Offer modern communication methods.

As recent as just a decade ago, voice and email were the primary modes of communication for businesses and their customers. Since that time, this has evolved to also include additional, more modern contact methods, like text messaging, online chat and social media.

Property managers that offer a variety of communication options are more likely to keep their clientele happy and engaged. Why? Because todays customers come from all walks of life and include multiple generations, each of which has different preferences. By providing your clients the option of interacting with you via whatever method they feel most comfortable, you’ll once again meet them where they are.

Be agile.

Last, but not least, property managers must be agile if they want to exceed their customers’ expectations. Simply put, you cannot maximize your service if you don’t know what it is your clients truly want. People change, needs change and preferences change. You must adapt to those changes or risk being left behind.

Keep your finger on the pulse of your client base by sending out regular surveys and staying in contact with them. Ask them what they like, what they’d like to see changed and what new things they’d appreciate. Then do your best to accommodate that feedback. If you do, you will evolve right alongside your customer base and always stay a step ahead of the competition.