No one likes being the bearer of bad news, but seeing as it’s an inescapable aspect of resident communication, it’s critical for apartment companies to know how to deliver it effectively and as painlessly as possible.
Unsurprisingly, some things are just too significant or sensitive to say in a letter or email, or even over the phone. During our latest #AptChat, we discussed what kinds of information falls under that umbrella, how leasing teams can “soften the blow” of a rent increase, which platforms and channels they use to get the word out and more. These are the highlights. (Click on the links to jump straight to a specific question.)
- Q1: What are some common types of bad news that you’ve had to deliver to residents, either 1-to-1 or to the entire community?
- Q2: Do you have standard communication templates/responses for those common occurrences? Who’s responsible for those messages?
- Q3: Do you have processes in place to review messages before they go out? Anything to avoid sending the wrong message?
- Q4: What are some tips you’ve learned about delivering a rent increase? Any ways to “soften the blow”?
- Q5: What format/channels are you using to deliver bad news to residents? Through the portal? Email? Paper? In person?
What are some common types of bad news that you’ve had to deliver to residents, either 1-to-1 or to the entire community?
A1: Wi-fi down, pest issues, and the all-time favorite: eviction/non-renewal notifications. #AptChat #ohwhatfunitistohide
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
@AptChat A1: When services go down, it’s always tough. Renters have higher expectations w/services than homeowners do IMO #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
Totally agree with @Marketing_Mommy! They are paying for the service of not having to deal with any inconveniences…#AptChat
— Holli Beckman (@Apartmentalist) November 8, 2016
A1. Cont. There’s the “personal” bad news: deaths, evictions, non-approvals. Even harder when someone is already down on their luck #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
@Marketing_Mommy You are so right! Continuing with an eviction or non-renewal is not an easy convo. #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) November 8, 2016
@MsMin Easier when they’ve been “bad” or broken rules, but not fun when a good resident has fallen on hard times. #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
@AptChat That I am leaving the property? 🙂 #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) November 8, 2016
@MsMin @AptChat That would definitely be devastating! 🙂 Really though, staff changes CAN be hard for residents to digest. #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
@AptChat @MsMin Occupancy limit issues are tough, too (when they are over the limit). #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
@AptChat @Marketing_Mommy Talking to residents about policy changes and why a change is necessary can be hard, too #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) November 8, 2016
@MsMin @AptChat @Marketing_Mommy Yes! Onboarding change is always dicey. #AptChat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
@leftnwrite08 @MsMin @AptChat Although I have a feeling the residents sometimes rejoice when there’s a changing of the guard #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
@AptChat rent increases #AptChat
— Stephanie Oehler (@StephanieOehler) November 8, 2016
@AptChat Yep! & I am a big advocate of face to face renewal appointments- esp. in the case of a large rent increase. #aptchat
— Stephanie Oehler (@StephanieOehler) November 8, 2016
@StephanieOehler @AptChat I hate the “send a letter and forget it” approach. So impersonal for the resident who just paid us $$$$ #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
@Marketing_Mommy @AptChat It’s like an invitation to give notice. #aptchat
— Stephanie Oehler (@StephanieOehler) November 8, 2016
@StephanieOehler @AptChat Oh man, I’ve spent DAYS prepping for some of those conversations, haha! #aptchat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
Does anybody else shop their own market before these conversations? I’ve found it helps make it smoother. #aptchat https://t.co/NisCtkmQpx
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
@leftnwrite08 Yep! That’s rule #1. Sometimes the residents still don’t care, but it at least provides some back-up for the “why”. #AptChat
— Kristi Fickert (@Marketing_Mommy) November 8, 2016
@AptChat It should be required of the entire leasing team to shop comps when increasing rates. #AptChat Maintenance, too!
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) November 8, 2016
Do you have standard communication templates/responses for those common occurrences? Who’s responsible for those messages?
A2: Depends on the news. Service interruption: We created a standardized, customizable email template to notify quickly. #aptchat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
A2 (cont): For personal notifications, there are standard letters but never a standardized conversation. #aptchat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
Do you have processes in place to review messages before they go out? Anything to avoid sending the wrong message?
A3 — proper training 🙂 #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) November 8, 2016
@AptChat Of course..that circles back to policy or procedure. Someone needs to read out loud before hitting the send button #aptchat
— Jonathan Saar (@JonathanSaar) November 8, 2016
@AptChat Depends on the message. Usually, for serious policy changes, Corporate usually issues it. Managers can submit to RPM, too, #AptChat
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) November 8, 2016
A3: Training is huge, and extra eyes. Having someone else review a non-standard notification is super important! #AptChat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
What are some tips you’ve learned about delivering a rent increase? Any ways to “soften the blow”?
A4: Research. How below market are you keeping them? What’s the rest of the market look like? What do you offer the comps can’t? #aptchat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
@AptChat Be prepared to discuss Cost to Move v. Increase analysis. #aptchat
— Stephanie Oehler (@StephanieOehler) November 8, 2016
@StephanieOehler @AptChat Yes … and make sure the value in staying outweighs that cost! 😉 #aptchat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
What format/channels are you using to deliver bad news to residents? Through the portal? Email? Paper? In person?
A5: Depending on the news, we’ll call/write w/ invite to come discuss further. The invite for a convo is (almost) always there. #aptchat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
A5 (cont) It also depends on the resident. Finding the way that gets the message across to THAT resident matters. #aptchat
— Khara (@leftnwrite08) November 8, 2016
@AptChat To me, all forms are acceptable, especially for Collections. They don’t get a choice. #AptChat Property-wide is written notices
— Mindy Sharp (@MsMin) November 8, 2016
@AptChat I am seeing online portals being used a lot more for property-wide notices & event notifications. #aptchat
— Stephanie Oehler (@StephanieOehler) November 8, 2016
Our next #AptChat is slated for Tuesday, November 15, 2016 at 12 pm Eastern. We’ll be discussing the NMHC OPTECH Conference & Exposition. In the meantime, be sure to sign up for #AptChat updates to get these recaps and more delivered straight to your inbox!