by Doug Chasick

Posted June 6, 2003

A Checklist for On-Site Success: Part 1

FACT: Most of your prospective residents have lived in apartmenst before, or currently live in one. (Read: They've heard and seen it all before, they're already convinced you'll lie to them, and there's nothing you can say to change their mind.)

FACT: Most of your residents will live in another apartment after they move out of your community.

FACT: The following items have a direct effect on how soon they move! Every prospect shows up with a set of objections and considerations. Each item listed below that you don't handle is one more objection you must overcome.

1. Market Ready Apartments:

• Pretend you're using a magnifying glass!
• Look for the little things: cigarette butts, carpet threads, dust, grass/weeds growing out of the sidewalk or asphalt, nails and paper clips painted over on window sills.
• USE A CHECKLIST - DON'T TRUST YOUR MEMORY!
• Train everyone to your WRITTEN STANDARDS - go into an apartment and prepare it with them - then give them a copy of your checklist. Then inspect the finished product with them, and DON'T COMPROMISE YOUR STANDARDS - keep working until it's 100% perfect.
• A rent-ready apartment doesn't start at the front door - it starts at the front entrance to the community and gets scrutinized more closely as the prospect nears the apartment. It reaches the critical point walking up to the apartment - are the outside light fixtures clean inside and out, is there cobwebs, dust, dirt, on the common area walls and ceilings, does the front door need paint, is the weather stripping in good shape - when you look at all this with your magnifying glass, a lot of little things look bigger!
• Two tips for keeping your property looking crisp:
1. Divide the property into sections, and assign a section to each service technician/ housekeeper/ groundskeeper. Rotate their assigned area every two weeks, so things don't become "invisible" to them. Make certain they carry a pad and pen so they can note any problems. Have them police the grounds while the majority of your residents are leaving for work so the residents see "their rent dollars at work."
2. The Buddy System: Where two of more properties are located close to each other, have the manager of one inspect the other, and vice versa, every two or three weeks. This method brings a pair of "fresh eyes" to your property.

• Don't let the prospect fill out the application - you ask the questions and fill in the blanks. Ask to see their driver's license and social security card. Why? Because, most of the time, you will be able to tell if they are bending the truth. (Plus, you'll be able to read the application!)
• Use a credit bureau or application verification service - shop around for the best price - maybe you can group properties together by location to qualify for a lower rate based on volume.
• Make certain the person verifying applications is trained in the proper procedures - how to ask questions, how to stay within the guidelines of the Fair Credit and Fair Housing regulations, and how to deal with banks, employers and landlords.
• If you REALLY want to know what kind of a resident your prospect will be, interview them at their CURRENT ADDRESS.

3. Keeping Service Appointments:

First of all, the biggest reason for service people not keeping appointments is that managers divert them to do other things! If you have an emergency, simply call the resident, IMMEDIATELY, tell them the situation, and re-schedule the appointment.

• When taking the service request, find out if the resident is taking off time from work, or otherwise re-arranging their schedule, and give those service requests priority.
• Don't make appointments without checking with your Service Manager first.
• Make certain you have the parts before setting the appointment.
• Schedule one service technician to work later (12 noon to 8 pm) or on Saturday to accommodate residents who want to be present. (Too bad if you think the resident is being unfair by wanting to be present - they'll just move!)
• Make sure the service technician you send is qualified to do the repair - don't send just anyone so you can say you were there.
• Train everyone who takes service requests HOW to take them. Have your Service Manager train the office staff on what questions to ask and how to pinpoint problems.

4. Customer Service Training:

Typically, the people who see your residents the most are the people who have NO customer service training - your service, housekeeping and grounds staff. All it takes is an hour's worth of training to teach the basics of customer service.

• Remember to reinforce the training by providing a good example for your staff to follow. (YOU ALWAYS LEAD BY EXAMPLE - BECAUSE YOU'RE THE BOSS! Your staff will follow your example, good or bad, because you're the leader. Don't fall asleep at the wheel!)
• Don't gossip about your residents, or demean them, or make fun of them, or complain about what a pain they are, or mutter about them under your breath. What you think is cute or funny isn't, and your staff will follow your example.
• Face it - you'll NEVER win an argument with a resident, so stop wasting your time - and setting a bad example!

5. Preventive Maintenance:

• Identify what items need to be included in your P.M. program. Define, in writing, what needs to be done to each item. Define, in writing, how often each item needs attention. Create a written schedule of inspections and maintenance. Create a written inspection and maintenance checklist. Issue a work order for each item and check it off your list when completed. (ALWAYS ISSUE A WORK ORDER FOR EVERYTHING YOU ASK YOUR SERVICE STAFF TO DO SO YOU CAN ACCURATELY MEASURE THEIR PRODUCTION.)
• One place to look when creating a P.M. schedule is your completed work orders. Analyze them to determine the weak links that might not fail if they received preventive maintenance.

6. Know Your Residnt's Names:

• Every book ever written about selling tells you that people love the sound of their name. Or did you think your job wasn't sales?
• When writing service requests, put the first and last name of the residents on the request so the service technician knows it.
• While there are plenty of "gimmicks" you can use to remember people's names, the most effective method is to have regular contact with your residents - if you see them and speak with them often enough, you'll remember them.

7. Training New Residents:

• Make a 15 - 30 minute appointment for the lease signing. Use a yellow marker to hi-lite important lease provisions and rules. Have the resident initial the rent payment, late charge fee and other important clauses.
• Remember two things: 1) Most residents DON'T READ THEIR LEASE; and 2) They've heard it all before. They know that NOBODY ever really enforces the "rent is due on the first" clause, and that they can talk their way out of a late charge. You're the manager; it's your job to manage the community. If you don't enforce the lease, they become the manager by default. And default is yours! (nyuk, nyuk, nyuk!)
• Or, don't do this, and forfeit your right to get angry with them when they don't follow the rules!

Douglas D. Chasick, CPM®, CAPS, CAS, Adv. RAM, CLP, is The Apartment Doctor™, a Multifamily speaker and consultant with over 28 years of experience in restoring rental health to ailing apartment communities. Doug is also the Multifamily Distance Learning Consultant for CallSource