L
et’s face it, we’re all feeling the effects of the busy season in
our industry. Sometimes it feels like you just can’t handle
one more call, one more tour, or one more turn. How do
you stay on track and keep your cool? Below are some tips on
navigating the busy season in the residential apartment industry.
Morning & Afternoon Check-Ins:
In order to stay organized and focused, try checking in with all
key personnel in the morning and afternoon to make sure that
everyone is on the same page. Consider holding morning meetings
with the entire team every day. We do these 15 minutes before
opening and use a checklist to stay focused and on time. Here are
some items that you may want to include on your checklist:
•
Percentage occupied
•
Percentage leased
•
New Leases, cancellations, denials
•
Move-ins & Move-outs
•
Maintenance appointments, on call issues, work orders
•
Turns, scheduled vendors
•
What’s on everyone’s plate? (To-do-lists)
Morning huddles at a 250-unit building could typically include
12-15 people, but you should still able to get through all of the
above items in 10-15 minutes—including the rapid-fire 3-5 item
“to-do list” from each team member.
and frazzled.
If you have the time, a quick afternoon staff meeting can really
keep a team on the same page and take them to the next level. If
you don’t have the time, think about having a quick check-in
between the Community Manager and Maintenance Supervisor at
the end of the day to make sure that all crucial issues have been
covered. A thoughtful Community Manager will also make sure to
ask their team if they need anything from them before they leave
for the day.
Have a Do-It-Now Mentality
A lot of issues can arise at an apartment community when the
staff doesn’t have a do-it-now mentality. Have you ever forgotten to
enter a work order, correct a lease charge, print an addendum for a
file, or make that extra key for a resident?
If you had a "do it now" mentality, that work order could have
been entered immediately at the moment of the request. Simply try
asking the resident, “could you please hold on for one moment as I
enter the work order to make sure it is completed accurately?”
If you had a "do it now" mentality, that lease charge could have
been corrected immediately by saying, “please give me on one
moment as I get this corrected for you and I’ll provide you with
your new balance.”
If you had a "do it now" mentality, the addendum could have
been printed immediately and put in the file, instead of sitting in
your inbox or going into an box to be filed later.
Imagine the feeling of satisfaction you would get from presenting the resident with that extra key immediately, showing your
thoughtfulness and care. Do-it-now and you’ll save face, time and
stress later!
www.aamdhq.org
JULY 2016 • TRENDS | 13