Ms. Management - Vendor Questions

Marketing a Service
Resident Complains About Vendor Smoking
Protecting the Company from Dishonesty
Resident Complaint About Vendor

Q: I have a service that will increase resident numbers and loyalty. How should I go about marketing my service and whom should I address?
A: The first thing I would do is go to management companies and talk to their marketing or training director. If there is no marketing or training director, ask to speak to their regional property managers. Another option is to go directly to the on-site manager and "sell" him/her your idea. Then have him/her direct you to the decision-maker in his/her organization.

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Q: A resident called to complain about a vendor smoking in her apartment. She didn't see the vendor smoking or find any cigarette butts, but she said she smelled smoke when she got home. The vendor was insulted that we would even entertain the complaint and wants an apology. What should we do?
A: I'm sorry the vendor is insulted for whatever reason the resident believes someone has been smoking in her home. All you can say to the resident is that you checked out the complaint with the vendor and the vendor said he/she didn't smoke. Perhaps something the vendor used in the apartment left an odd odor. Just apologize to the resident for any inconvenience and tell her that you would be happy to purchase some air-freshener for their home. As for your vendor wanting an apology from your resident -- that is ridiculous. You can merely tell your vendor - I hate that term; let's say your supplier - that you are not going to ask your resident to apologize. Remember the supplier works for you. You are his/her paying customer and more importantly your residents are your paying customers. The customer may not always be right, but they are still the customer.

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Q: I own for a company that does maintenance and minor repairs for a couple property management companies. A couple of my employees were accused of stealing some money from a resident. Nothing could be proved either way. This isn't the first time someone has been accused of stealing. What's the best way to protect myself?
A: It would be wise for your company to run a background checks before you hire anyone new. The company should have an umbrella policy for liability coverage. Most companies require this before your employees step onto the property. Some companies bond their employees. These procedures will make you clients feel more comfortable. It is still not a guarantee that there won't be a problem, but it is better to be proactive.

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Q: What's the best way to handle a complaint from a resident about one of our service technicians?
A: The first thing I would do is identify exactly what the resident's perception was that displeased him/her about the service technician. Then the manager should sit down with the service supervisor and the service technician and discuss the complaint. This should be done without accusing the service technician. Discuss the resident's perception and collectively come together with a solution, whether an apology is from the service technician is warranted or whether the resident needs to sit down with the service manager and technician and have a discussion.

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