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Pet Peeves About On Site Staffers

Pet Peeves About On Site Staffers

It’s time to turn the tables from last weeks’ posting about property management executives. As I travel the country, talking with corporate staff and owners, I hear a lot of the same comments and complaints from these executives. So, as I have done in the past, I’ve assembled their most common issues they have with their on site staff.( I also get these remarks via email and even occasionally by phone.)

Oh, and please don’t shoot the messenger folks. I’m just telling you what I hear.

So, here in no particular order, are some reasons why your corporate office might not respect you.

1. Your friends are your residents. You hang out with them, drink with them, date them and more. How in the world can you possibly run a property when your residents are your friends?

2. You come to work hungover on the weekends. It’s obvious that you are. Why do you do that? Weekends are a part of your schedule and you knew that when you took the job. Move your partying to your days off, please.

3. You know your tattoos and numerous piercings are not supposed to show at work. Please keep them covered as we discussed in your hiring orientation. You’ll stop getting written up and we’ll all be much happier.

4. Ladies, bare legs are not allowed. When we say wear hose, we mean wear hose. Just because Katie Couric does it doesn’t mean you can do it. 

5. Smoke breaks are to be taken away - well away - from the front door of the leasing office. Remember that.

6. Lifting the firewall to allow Facebook for marketing and resident retention purposes does not mean you get to play Mafia Wars, Farmville and Cafe World all day long or spend your time searching for your old high school boyfriend or girlfriend. Yes, we know a bit of abuse of networking sites is going to take place. But do it on your lunch hour, not during your paid workday.

7. Please don’t text residents or prospects with work messages from your cell phone. And yes, this also means you shouldn't take pictures of them to send them after the tour. It’s just wrong. And it opens the door to a lot of problems. No exceptions!

8. Every prospective resident to the property has a guest card completed. No exceptions.

9. If we require photo identification to see an apartment, you MUST take a photo identification. No exceptions.

10. Improvements to software and processes are simply that; improvements. We are really trying to make your job easier. We are not trying to make it harder with software conversions, upgrades and trying new products. We sincerely want your input, but you must also realize that change is inevitable and just because you don’t like it doesn’t mean we won’t go forward with the upgrade, new product or improvement to service.

 

Lisa Trosien is an award winning multifamily educator, speaker and consultant with 20+ years of industry experience. You may reach her via email, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.  

 
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Thanks for airing the dirty laundry, Lisa! I especially appreciate the reminder that software upgrades, etc. are meant to improve things, not intentionally create more work or headache. Sometimes we all (front line and corporate team members) forget we are all on the same team striving toward the same goal.

  Jen Piccotti
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hey Jen!

My pleasure! Unfortunately, the software upgrades, etc., just don't get presented properly so there is unease on the part of the staff. But that's another post for another day!

I really appreciate your comments and the reTweet!

LT

  Lisa Trosien
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I get the opportunity to walk many properties with managers and regional manager during the year.
The biggest pet peeve of mine is when the manager does not take a note pad to take notes on. I hope they remember everything, but I doubt it.

  Michael Snowdon
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Hi Michael!

Great response. Absolutely true! And even if the manager has a *perfect* memory, the notepad is a good piece to assuage any worries the supervisor might have!

Thanks for your comment!

LT

  Lisa Trosien
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And how about "Stop Whining!"? Yes, things are tough; yes, you had more staff and a bigger budget when things were good and yes, things change! Guess what? We already know that and we hired you to produce results, not reasons.

Need more training? Please tell us. Need more support, more resources, more feedback? Please ask for it - we won't think you're stupid or incompetant.

Sometimes we wonder if your property is successful because of you or in spite of you - and when the market softens, the answer becomes obvious. So, PLEASE - act like a partner, ask for the help you need, and work WITH us to serve our customers. (Oh, and that also includes bad-mouthing corporate to your residents while smiling at your boss!)

  Doug Chasick
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hey Apartment Doctor!

You speak as though you've run a management company in your career!

I think we're all guilty of whining from time to time.(I know my kids are!)But your point of 'acting like a partner' is soooo *spot on*! If more people acted like that, there would be far more success in the business (and interpersonal)world today!

Great contribution. Thanks!

LT

  Lisa Trosien
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Love this article! Addition to #1, Your employees are your friends. How can you be a good supervisor when you can not be objective about job performance. Friendship makes it very hard to hold accountable site staff.

My motto to new site staff...friendly not friends.

  Tiffani McCoy
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site

Hi Tiffani!

That's a great motto. Hard to follow for some, but a great motto. I know lots of folks who've had problems when they crossed the line with their staff.

Any other tips you've got on how to keep that line firm? Love to hear from you if you do!

Thanks for commenting!

LT

  Lisa Trosien
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Hi Lisa,

Honestly this motto came from life experience (nothing like your best friend asking for new carpet or discovering a "friend" used your signon to pay her rent) but I generally remind people that just as you can't help but ask for a discount from a friend in retail, people will want something from you as their boss or apartment manager.

  Tiffani McCoy
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Good points Lisa.....I have a couple of other tips for apartment staffers. Parking the golf carts (that you use to drive prospective tenants to view apartments) in handicap spaces and handicap aisles located in front of the Clubhouse is
a "no no"...actually, it's against Federal ADA Law...but, I have seen this occur at a couple of properties. Also, have seen
the U.S. postal delivery person park his U.S. post office vehicle in a handicap space (for 2 to 3 hours) while delivering
mail - just feel the Manager should have control of the property and direct the postal worker to NOT park here. Another issue I have found to be pretty "commmon" are multi-family properties with MANY exterior lights burned out - at
carports, post lights, porch lights and exterior mounted building lights, lights around the pool areas, underwater
lights in the pools and Jacuzzi - highly recommend Management walk their sites at night at least once a month and note ALL lights burned out and have their maintenance staff replace them - site safety is an important issue...managing a property as we all know is a 24/7 responsibility - not 9 am to 5 pm job.

  Brent Williams

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