Tips & Techniques
Accessible & Visible
Managers who fail to promptly return calls, walk the park or engage tenants in "face to face" conversations will definitely struggle to be successful. When a call is not returned it tells the tenant the manger is either afraid or doesn't care. If the manager doesn't regularly walk the park, the tenants will start building fences, parking wherever or running a business out of their carport. When notices are the only way we communicate, we miss the opportunity to hear directly from a tenant about what's going on and sometimes, this will make the resolution of an issue more difficult and take longer.
Success is about being available and responsive to the tenants so they have confidence and know if there's an emergency, the manager or someone else will be available immediately. It's about being seen, walking and inspecting the park. This way the tenant know if they "stray from the rules" it won't be long before the manager knocks on their door or shoots them an email to ask "what's up?"
Return all non-emergency incoming calls within 24 hours
Establish office hours, maybe one day a week, couple of hours
Do regular park inspections (wearing your manager's hat!)
Post emergency contact information around the park