Not all feedback is going to be positive, however, all comments and criticisms can be utilized as learning opportunities to provide room for growth and improvement. This is the mindset that P.B. Bell has when it comes to receiving feedback from residents and prospective residents. By analyzing feedback, identifying problem-solving solutions and implementing solutions effectively, P.B. Bell is able to overcome obstacles and provide a high-quality living experience at all of their apartment communities. Here are a few top tips that P.B. Bell leverages with resident satisfaction surveys to boost ROI:

Residents and Prospective Resident Satisfaction Surveys 

When used efficiently and sparingly, surveying residents and prospects can be a valuable tool to gather positive and negative feedback. It’s twofold because you’re also able to show you care by truly hearing what your customers have to say, making it possible to implement solutions based on their insights. To do this successfully, first identify the best times to send a survey to avoid overwhelming them with an influx of questionnaires. For example, an appropriate time to send a survey could be via email after one tours a community. Another example would be when a resident has been at the community for a couple of months or when a resident has renewed their lease. If a resident chooses not to renew their lease and move out of the community, it’s recommended to send them a survey prior to them moving. Although it is sad to see residents go, these surveys will likely provide some honest feedback and insight into their overall living experience at your community.

Today, P.B. Bell utilizes prospect and resident surveys company-wide through J Turner Research based on different activity types in the prospect’s and resident’s journeys — this helps to gauge areas of opportunity and areas where they’re doing very well. By regularly utilizing J Turner to send out surveys on P.B. Bell’s behalf, it’s possible to be proactive and identify the most efficient ways to allocate resources and time for the best ROI, further boosting resident referrals and retention.

Maintenance Requests

Following up with a resident after a maintenance request is completed in their apartment is a perfect time to gather valuable feedback and prove to residents that you take their needs seriously. By providing residents with quality onsite maintenance, a major benefit to living in a multifamily community, management teams can monitor residents’ experiences with maintenance to ensure that their needs are being met. After a maintenance request has been completed, send the resident a quick questionnaire, either via email or even pick up the phone and give them a call to get a better understanding of their overall experience. These questions can cover whether their request was fixed properly, if the query was prompt, if the staff was courteous, followed protocol and more. Not only will these resident satisfaction surveys help ensure that the resident’s problem is solved, it will also gather feedback in regard to the level and quality of the service provided. 

Collaboration 

Gathering and analyzing feedback that you receive through resident satisfaction surveys is great, but the most important thing is making sure you actually do something with the results. When asking for feedback from residents and prospects, it’s crucial to make actionable, timely decisions that enhance the experience for our customers. Not only just because property management teams should, but because the team asked for them to take the time to review their experience and if they do, the onsite team needs to show them that they value their time and their opinion. P.B. Bell has found success by meeting on a monthly basis with all community managers to overcome obstacles as a team, share advice and lean on each other’s experiences. By collaborating and having open communication across communities, onsite teams are able to identify and fix potential issues within their own communities before they come to fruition. If a solution works for one community, it could solve obstacles within other communities as well.

Resident feedback, whether positive or negative, can be used as a learning moment to make improvements within a community and elevate the living experience and environment for residents and prospects. By utilizing surveys, maintenance questionnaires and collaborating between communities, onsite property management teams can boost ROI and help build long-term success for its community while becoming better community managers at the same time.

Need a quality property management team to oversee your multifamily community and provide an exceptional living experience for your residents? Check out our services and give us a call at (480) 951-2222.