RESIDENT RETENTION
APARTMENT LIFE HACKS
Cut back work orders by providing residents a few tips
BY MARA FREESE
As apartment operators , we spend
considerable time and energy discussing ways to empower our teams . By providing our teams with the tools , training , and authority they need to excel in their positions , employees are naturally more motivated and invested in their position . This results in an increased employee retention rate and a stronger bottom line .
What if we took the same approach with our residents , specifically regarding service requests ? Many management companies have wellestablished , streamlined processes to empower residents to pay their rent themselves and submit service requests electronically . But what if this is taken a step further ; to empower residents to complete the service requests themselves . We may just have residents who are invested in their home and motived to take care of it as if it were their own . They also may just stay a year or two longer .
Empowering our residents would also result in the empowerment of our service teams . Service teams would have more time available to invest in areas such as improved turn times to capital projects that may traditionally be contracted out . Being able to allocate service teams ' time to areas that can improve revenue growth and employee empowerment is paramount to an organization ’ s success .
So , what services should residents be empowered to handle themselves ? We felt this was an excellent question for our service team and here are a few answers
• How to unclog a toilet ( by far the number one answer from our maintenance team ).
• How to turn off the main water line and water lines to a toilet and sink
• How to unclog and reset a garbage disposal
• How to reset a breaker and GFCI outlet
• How to test and replace batteries within a smoke alarm and CO2 detector
• How to program and replace batteries in a thermostat
• How to replace a water filter and an air filter .
• How to light a pilet light for a water heater and fireplace
• How to unclog a sink and bathtub with a zip tie
• How to determine if an outlet is connected to a light switch
What to share with your residents will vary by the community and the service team , but you can begin by looking at your service orders and figuring what the most logical " apartment life hacks " you can teach your residents would be .
Teaching your residents doesn ' t have to be a long process . Hosting quick virtual classes is a great opportunity you can take advantage of now that your residents have gotten used to working and learning virtually .
Additionally , you can simply film short videos to post on your resident portal or website so your residents can access the videos on demand .
We are confident that with a little support and training , most residents will feel confident and empowered to handle many of these services themselves .
However , there is one service , that despite years of support and empowerment , we know many residents simply will not handle themselves , and that is picking up after their pet .
Mara Freese is the Marketing Director at Echelon Property Group and Chair of the AAMD Communication Committee . www . aamdhq . org JANUARY 2021 TRENDS | 29