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“Make sure you do the basics well—get back to your roots… Just make sure you have a plan in place to ensure you’re communicating well and taking care of maintenance in a timely and efficient manner.”
Mindy Price chats with Turner Batdorf about his recent contribution to an article titled “4 Ways to Improve Resident Satisfaction.” Written by Amanda Loudin, the article examines a study conducted by AppFolio based on what renters want, and Turner served to both verify and provide a different perspective on the findings. The study found that maintenance, communication, and technology are the themes driving resident satisfaction, and Turner agrees that the first two are crucial.
Since the world has opened back up after the pandemic, residents have become less patient with excuses pertaining to maintenance service. Residents frequently express that the maintenance team is the heart and soul of the community, and when that service is lacking, they are more likely to look elsewhere for a home, especially when pricing specials at newer or competing communities make the hassle of moving worthwhile. Issues with staffing shortages and retaining talent make the focus on compensation for maintenance personnel even more critical, and Turner notes that quick but incomplete service can actually do more harm than good.
When it comes to communication and the resident experience, Turner emphasizes that over-communicating is always better than under-communicating. When residents receive clear and consistent updates, they understand when issues may take longer to resolve, because they can see that the team is at work. And when asked about how important technology is to resident satisfaction, Turner notes that people want the technology but do not want to pay for it. It is the basics of good service and transparency that remain at the heart of the resident experience.