The hustle and bustle of the apartment industry can often get exhausting. It seems like we spend more time thinking about the residents that cause us the most problems, rather than the ones who make us love our job. Luckily, there is always that resident who helps dig us out of the .. “If I have to deal with one more angry person I’m going to scream” .. haze.
Several weeks ago one of my residents dropped into the leasing office with flowers and cupcakes. He had been to the local farmers market and picked up a beautiful bouquet of flowers and cupcakes for his girlfriend. Being the great resident that he is, he also picked up some flowers and cupcakes for our office staff as well! We were thrilled.
This got me thinking about a discussion board posting where members were asked to “Describe your perfect resident.” It was then that I decided to throw my two cents into the discussion.
In my mind, the perfect resident….
1. Pays on time.
2. Understands not every maintenance request is a "quick fix"... and that while we try to complete the request as soon as possible there may be another issue that takes priority ahead of theirs.. (e.g. Air conditioning over a light bulb out, out of service refrigerator over a squeaky ceiling fan). 3. Is friendly to the office & Maintenance staff.
4. Actively promotes their positive living experience at the community. 5. Attends resident functions and encourages other residents to attend.
6. Abides by all community policies and rules. 7. Talks openly about their issues with the community to the staff and not other residents or prospects.
8. Does not leave trash in common areas or outside their door.
9. Respects other residents by not leaving their clothes in a washer/dryer for hours causing others to become aggravated.
10. Renews their lease year after year!!!
Sometimes we get so consumed with the daily tasks of our property it’s nice to sit down and think about the residents that make our job easier. While the flowers we received have long since died, the gracious act will long be remembered. It’s the little things like this that make me love this industry.
Just in case you’re curious .. here is a picture of our Arkansas grown Farmers Market flowers!
