When you call or email your HOA management company, the ability to talk or hear from a person on your first phone/email contact would probably be your first choice. If you could talk with your community manager the same day, that would be a real victory. Does it have to be so difficult?
One of the most repeated concerns we hear from potential clients is, no one responds to our calls or emails!!
Personally I can’t think of another service business that requires as much follow-up as a homeowner’s association management company does. HOA board members and homeowners have a lot of questions, and sometimes a quick response is needed to clarify an architectural review or a resale request. There are collection issues and violation concerns that could affect the financial stability or the property value of a community. Homeowners associations are made up of people that have invested in a community setting and have a financial responsibility, and in some cases a vision to make their home a dream and not a burden. With all the ways to provide information today, you would think it would be much easier to get information in a timely manner.
Why is Talking to a Management Company Employee or Getting a Call Back or Return Email So Difficult?
Believe it or not, one of the great failures of the HOA Management Company market is expanding the business without a plan to provide personal service to the clients. From my perspective, the business plan for most HOA management companies for growth is to add departments where owners are forced to funnel their specific concerns into a que and wait. This leads to frustration and resentment toward the board of directors and a decline in owners’ desire to become a community volunteer. Poor HOA management service leaves owners and board members with a feeling of distrust and it need not be that way.
How Can an HOA Management Company Resolve the Communication Gap??
First of all, remember who the customer is. That sounds easy, but in some cases it is a cultural change starting at the top. Ask a management company when you are interviewing them about their most effective customer service technique and ask a lot of questions concerning their answer. If the HOA property management company states that all questions pertaining to a community should be directed to the assigned property manager, then you may feel confident that your question will be answered accurately and timely. Building trust through communication is not something new and it should not be treated as outdated. Relationships are valuable and the time spent by board members or owners to resolve issues should be valued.
Call us today to review your service level and let’s take the next step in solving your concerns.
