Posts about Communication

Five Ways to Show Resident Appreciation

Residents are a huge part of the success of our properties. Making sure residents feel appreciated and heard can lead to less turnover and an overall better atmosphere at your community. Here are five easy ways to let your residents know they are appreciated: Thank You Cards One of the easiest and budget-friendly ways to show your residents you appreciate them is by writing a Thank you card. You can keep it short and sweet by simply saying, “Thank you for being a part of our community!”. Be sure to personalize the card with the Resident’s name and your signature. Creating a Property Newsletter A newsletter can help notify your residents of new things happening in the community. It can include events, reminders and can also be a great place t o give some tips such as "How to eliminate pesky household odors" or "The best indoor plants to buy". You can also ask residents to send in accolades or updates and celebrate their big days or accomplishments with a shoutout. Hosting an Event A great way to show your appreciation is to host a get together. Events are a great way to bring the community together and doesn’t have to break the bank. If you have a pool at your property – throw a pool party. Have a dog park? Host a Doggy Meet and Greet. No matter what kind of event you have, your residents will love getting to know you and their neighbors better. Renewal Incentives What better way to keep your amazing residents around than by offering renewal incentives. Having residents that respect your property and you have great relationships with are residents you want to keep around. Without our residents and the relationships we have nurtured with them throughout the years, we could not be successful. See what you might be able to offer to help your resident decide to stay another year. Communicate This may seem like an easy one, but sometimes just a quick check-in and a "Hey, how are you doing?" can go a long way with making sure your residents feel heard and appreciated. It also lets the resident know that the line of communication is always open if they need anything. Listening to resident's concerns and making sure they are taken care of is the best way to make your resident feel at home and ensure a long residency at your property. Showing your residents that you care doesn’t have to be difficult or expensive. Simple things like cards and open communication is all you need to ensure that your residents will feel the love.

Developing A Good Crisis Communications Plan

As most people have experienced during the ongoing pandemic health crisis, being able to communicate to clients, staff, residents and other key stakeholders really needs to be front and center of any plan that includes sharing critical information during a time of crisis. And in today’s world of online news media, social media and viral communications, all organizations need a good crisis communications plan that can help whether they are facing a natural disaster (or a pandemic), misconduct by an employee or some other type of crisis. Ultimately, keeping residents and staff informed is critical, and crisis communications play a key part of maintaining a good property. Personal involvement in ensuring thoughtful communications at all of our properties is a hallmark of FOURMIDABLE, and helps guide our efforts in every community. There are several essential aspects to a solid crisis communications game plan that I would like to cover briefly. Really, though, the goal is to plan now and be ready in case you need it. It’s kind of like insurance in that way. Let’s hope we don’t need to use it, but better to be prepared. Have a spokesperson The plan should call for a spokesperson to speak on behalf of your property or community. In fact, to ensure more depth in times of trouble, an organization should really have a couple of key individuals in this role, certainly no more than two. The role is to represent the company, and make sure others aren’t chipping in with random thoughts or comments. Be honest, respond quickly and tell your story Never lie about the nature of the crisis or try to cover things up. Developing a response plan is just that – respond to what is happening and do it in as open and honest way as possible. While third and fourth on my list, I think the next two tips are the most important ones of all, and they tend to go hand in hand. First, be sure to tell your side of the story and, next, respond as quickly as possible. We should never forget to prioritize our response, and to whom we respond to, no matter the difficulty presented by the crisis itself. While there can be challenges sometimes to telling your side of the story, it doesn’t mean you can’t reasonably articulate as much as practical. It is also important to do it quickly before too much time passes, as this can be seen as hiding something or trying to cover it up. This is not always a fun part of our role, but there are no excuses for not responding, in some way. Use all of the communications tools at your disposal Good communications can take many forms, including things like letters directly to residents or staff, holding a special meeting and sending or posting notices throughout the property. Ultimately, be ready to use your communications resources and to make yourself available to stakeholders, especially if you are the spokesperson. The goal is to be confident, in control and be a credible source of information in a crisis. Having a plan will help give you the confidence to make the surefire decisions when a crisis arises. It will help you feel in control and it will allow you to prepare and disseminate credible information. If nothing else the COVID-19 pandemic has taught us all a valuable lesson about communicating in a crisis. Let’s look to a brighter future, one where we are always ready for whatever issue may arise.

Keeping in Touch Through Good Communications

Stressing the importance of good communications with residents is a must in this fast-paced information world we live in. Keeping residents informed and responding to their needs is critical. It plays such a key part of maintaining a good property, that your communications efforts should not be taken lightly. In fact, it requires we plan and organize our approach as much as any other aspect of taking care of the property. Personal involvement in ensuring great communications at all of our properties is a hallmark of FOURMIDABLE and guides us in our efforts to work closely with management, staff and residents. There are several essential aspects to a solid communications game plan I would like to cover briefly. Have a good response plan for resident requests Sometimes we forget to prioritize our response to the needs and requests of residents. To make sure there’s a focus on great customer service, and to help protect a property, FOURMIDABLE uses a service that monitors phone calls around the clock, including emergency calls. During closed business hours, residents who call the office will hear a recording that allows them to choose an option for emergencies. The calls are monitored, and appropriate responses are implemented, escalating, if necessary, directly to me. How we respond to calls and requests from residents are always discussed with new residents during their move-ins. The communications policy is written into the lease as well as posted on our property website. Respond to complaints or concerns You must absolutely respond to concerns, questions, problems, and complaints in timely manner. This is not always a fun part of the job, but there are no excuses for not responding. If the issue is not an emergency, I highly recommend a one-day response for any residents’ concerns. How the response is made depends on what works best in the moment. This isn’t rocket science, there are multiple ways to reach out and respond - a phone call, an email, even a text sometimes, just to show you received the message and are working on a solution. Often people just want to be heard and have a chance to explain an issue from their perspective. It’s our role to be gracious under fire and respond in a personal and non-confrontational way. Try various ways of communicating Good communications can take many forms, and often times I suggest using several approaches, through things like letters direct to residents, notices throughout the property (bulletin boards can be a big help) and even on a website or Facebook page. Most communities have monthly newsletters for residents that can be emailed, printed and distributed on the property or published on a website. Newsletters allow you to share important dates, updates to procedures or policies, news from the community, staff changes and anything else unique to your property. Another great venue for encouraging communication is during resident events and activities. Communities who host regular meetings or social parties, like game or movie nights, have a unique opportunity to let everyone connect and share information. It’s even a chance to respond personally if you are in attendance. Be available and flexible Ultimately, the goal is to respond in a timely fashion, communicate in a regular manner and ensure you’re available when residents are available. If you have to, adjust office hours to what works best for the most residents. Learn to be flexible and accommodate the needs of residents. It will pay off with residents who, in being well informed, also become highly-satisfied, long-