RESIDENT RETENTION
AMANDA CUPP | ONE CALL NOW
Weather or Not, Residents Appreciate
Notifications
N
o, that was not a typo… Residents of
apartment communities appreciate communication from their property managers, especially when it comes to critical information like severe weather alerts. Even for everyday
occurrences like maintenance, resident satisfaction
tends to increase as communication increases.
Providing residents with a way to respond
— and reach a live staff member when necessary
— also fosters positive relationships. In all these
situations, an automated resident notification
system serves as a valuable tool. Here are some
common situations in which automated systems
can help.
SEVERE WEATHER
Everyone wants to know about severe weather. Keep an eye out for any weather alerts or warnings such as thunderstorms and flash flooding in
the desert, winter storms on the East Coast, and
freezing rain in the Pacific Northwest. You can
use your automated notification system to let
residents know how to avoid weather related annoyances, for example dripping faucets to avoid
frozen pipes.
www.aamdhq.org
MAINTENANCE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
Automatic notification systems can alert your
residents about upcoming routine maintenance,
like annual appliance checks or carpet cleaning.
If you need input on scheduling a time, you can
let residents know their options and how to reach
you. Once you’ve scheduled with a resident, your
automated system sends reminder calls prior to
and after the appointment.
NEW BUSINESS OPENINGS
Alerting residents to the opening of new restaurants and other local businesses is a great service. Sending out business-opening notifications
through your automated system supports the
local business community and helps busy working
people plan their time off effectively.
PUBLIC SERVICE
ANNOUNCEMENTS
You can use your automated system to keep
residents abreast of critical local information like
water contamination, wildlife issues, and crime alerts.
When a potentially dangerous situation occurs in
the area, don’t assume residents will find out from
local news; alert them, and they’ll thank you.
COMMUNITY EVENTS
If your apartment community schedules social
events, you can use your automated system to
invite residents. An initial announcement can
include all the details, and the system can also
send reminders. Even residents who don’t plan to
attend may thank you, since they can avoid any
noise or inconvenience.
Whether you need to get the word out about
weather, maintenance, business openings, important
local information, or social events, an automatic
resident notification system can keep your residents
in the know. In return, you can expect satisfied
residents who stay in your community longer.
Amanda Cupp is the Senior Marketing Managerr for Property Management Solutions at One Call Now, and a blogger at www.multifamilyinsiders.com.
JULY 2016 • TRENDS | 25