Why Outsourcing Customer Service is a Game-Changer for Property Managers

Should you outsource your property management customer services? According to Gartner’s customer service operation insights, the lifeblood of a company’s customer base is customer service and support. However, for many property managers, delivering top-notch customer service is challenging. As a property manager, responsibilities like budgeting, marketing, and facility management will overwhelm you.

Of course, you could delegate customer services to in-house staff. However, doing so might increase the workload for an overwhelmed team, thus reducing productivity and efficiency. With this in mind, it makes sense to outsource customer support for your property management business. In this post, we’ll discuss why outsourcing customer service is a game-changer for property managers.

What is Customer Service Outsourcing in Property Management?

You can define customer service outsourcing as a business practice that allows companies to hire third-party vendors to: 

• Respond to customer inquiries
• Manage customer complaints
• Provide technical support

In property management, third-party customer service providers:

• Address maintenance requests
• Maintain transparent communication with property owners
• Manage repairs and construction
• Resolve tenant disputes or complaints

Read on to learn the benefits of customer service outsourcing in property management.

 1. Improved Resource Management

Providing exceptional customer service to tenants and landlords is tricky. First, you must identify their needs. Then provide the best solutions to meet their expectations. One thing outsourcing customer services does for you and your team is free up time to concentrate on vital aspects of the business. For example, let’s say your company doesn’t have the budget to hire in-house customer services because you’re just starting. Asking your existing team to handle customer support sounds ideal. However, at some point, it won’t make sense for a non-support team to handle calls or address property maintenance issues. Instead, your team should focus on marketing and tenant acquisition to increase occupancy rates in the properties you manage. 

What if you manage multiple properties? This means you have many tenants that require your attention and having in-house customer support agents means more expenses (call center equipment, insurance, and wages). When you outsource your property management customer support, you save money, thus increasing profits. That’s because outsourcing companies charge reasonable rates for full-time customer service representatives and provide the equipment required to deliver customer services. 

2. Wider Customer Support Coverage

Outsourced customer services provide more coverage in various ways. 

• After-hours services. 

As a property manager, you know tenants will call at any time of the day to report maintenance emergencies or seek conflict resolutions with neighbors. Sometimes it’s impossible to keep up with the calls, especially at night. Outsourcing allows you to provide customer services 24/7, meaning tenants will have someone to report issues or make inquiries even in the middle of the night. 

• Cover more locations. 

For property managers with clients in multiple states, it’s challenging to manage customer needs on time. Time zone differences mean you cannot receive calls when your customers need you most. Your in-house call center department may also lack the language skills or cultural knowledge. When you outsource customer services, you bring in professionals who have diverse backgrounds, can speak multiple languages, and are available 24/7 to assist customers. 

3. Enhanced Customer Experience 

An article published in Forbes reveals effective communication enhances the tenant experience. Take, for example, the last time you called a company to inquire about their product or service. How did you feel when the customer agent responded to your call quickly? Satisfied and valued. Tenants and landlords feel the same way when a property management company responds to their calls 24/7. 

Timely communication is paramount in property management.

Alex Vasquez

According to STAFFVIRTUAL, around-the-clock services are a vital component of property management customer service. With outsourced customer service representatives by your side, you can ensure no request goes unattended. And when your company responds to emails, calls, and text messages promptly, tenants and landlords report high satisfaction rates. As a result, your property management company receives positive reviews and increased customer retention. 

4. Customizable Solutions

One of the primary benefits property managers experience from outsourcing customer services is customization. Outsourcing customer services gives you the flexibility to adjust your support team to fit your current needs. 

For instance, let’s say your business is signing more contracts from landlords or you’re scaling down. You can outsource more support or reduce the number of service representatives you need. Sometimes property managers don’t need full-time customer support representatives. Outsourcing companies allow you to outsource customer support to supplement your in-house team. For instance, you can outsource virtual help desk agents to provide customer support after hours.

5. Access to Better Skills

Are you still wondering why finding the right customer service outsourcing partner is a game-changer for property managers? Well, outsourcing allows you to work with professionals. Customer service agents working for reputable outsourcing vendors are experts in what they do. Plus, they have been trained and screened to ensure they are a perfect fit for your real estate management company. 

Besides getting better skills, property managers have access to professional tooling and data-driven insights to provide outstanding customer service. That’s because customer support agents are knowledgeable about the best tools and practices for enhancing the customer experience. 

Conclusion

Outsourcing customer services in property management can be a game changer for any property manager. How? First, outsourcing customer support saves time and money as it frees time for staff to handle important matters, like marketing and budgeting. 

Second, having a team of outsourced customer support representatives means better response after hours and across various locations. Property managers also see an improvement in tenant experience, enjoy customizable services, and access experienced and knowledgeable staff.