We’ve all seen the signs of bad customer service. In fact, most of us have experienced it personally from time to time. And in today’s digital age, with millions of people turning to social media to get instant information, one bad customer experience can turn into a nightmare for your property management organization. In this case, the best defense is a good offense. To follow are 5 common customer service blunders to consider so you can avoid making the same costly mistakes in your own business.
Ignoring Complaints
Perhaps the worst thing you can do when it comes to caring for your customers is bury your head in the sand when complaints come up. The fact is, no business is immune. Your property management firm is no exception. Yet, not responding to a negative experience will just add fuel to the fire. Make it a point to respond to every single situation, regardless of its nature.
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Going on the Defensive
Hearing (or reading) negative things about your business can be a tough pill to swallow. It’s easy to become defensive and lash out at someone who is painting your business in a poor light, but this will only turn a bad situation into a worse one. Remember the old adage, “the customer is always right” and apply the 24 hour rule in situations that you feel particularly passionate about.
Making Excuses
There may very well be a logical explanation for why a certain transaction went wrong, but when you respond to a customer’s complaint with a list of reasons rather than solutions, you’ll just look like you’re spinning excuses. People don’t care as much about why something happened as they do how you plan to correct it. Save the reasoning for making internal improvements so that particular problem doesn’t occur again.
Not Addressing Underlying Issues
Every complaint your property management firm receives should be viewed as an opportunity for improvement. If you only treat negative experiences as individual fires that need to be put out, you risk your entire business going up in smoke. Instead, use these incidents to identify areas that need to be developed and enhanced and then put that valuable information into action by implementing the necessary changes.
Related Post: 5 Costly Mistakes to Avoid in Property Management
Failing to Recognize the Importance of Relationships
Many businesses seal their own fate when they choose to let unhappy customers move on rather than going above and beyond to repair damaged relationships. The fact is, a repeat customer is much more valuable than a new one. There’s also the matter of unhappy customers spreading the word, which leads to further reputation damage and revenue loss. Treat every complaint as a chance to win back your clientele and you’ll reap the benefits.
In the competitive property management industry, your customers are your greatest asset. Keeping them satisfied by avoiding the above errors can go a long way toward sustaining success and promoting the future growth of your business.
