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My Amazon package has been stolen. What are YOU gonna do about it??????
My Amazon package has been stolen. What are YOU gonna do about it??????
If you work in multifamily, you know this moment.
A resident walks into your office upset because their package is gone. And now they're looking at YOU to fix the problem.
And you're sitting there thinking…"I wish I could. But I can't."
I've experienced this on multiple levels. On-site (as a leasing consultant, assistant and community manager), and also at the corporate level when I was the Customer Care Manager for a large company, with a complaining resident on the other end of a phone call; and now as a trainer, consultant coach trying to get skeptical industry pros to buy into what I teach around this.
When faced with this moment you can either...try to save the day and promise more than you can actually do, or (probably more common), shut down, hide behind policy, or just say there is "nothing" you can do.
Neither one really works in the long term.
So what do you actually do?
Here's what I've learned helps (using ideas I share in my trainings ... hint.)
First — Engage EmpatheticallyTry something like this: "Julie, I'm so sorry. I have had that happen to me where I live, and it's so frustrating, isn't it? I'd be upset too if that happened to me."
This is key...you're not solving yet! You're just letting them feel seen, heard, valued and validated.
I know...I know, it's hard to do this when you know-YOU KNOW!!- there is not much you can really do about a missing package.
But, you must remember this, empathy alone can change the tone. (Read that again.)
Second — Communicate Clearly (But Not Coldly or Callously!)
Your temptation will be to handle the conversation with corporate efficiency and detachment. Resist that temptation. I say again, resist the temptation. Corporate cold ticks people off. It just does.
Try this instead, "I wish we had control over packages after they're delivered, but we don't. Here's what I can help you with."
That sentence matters.
It's honest without being defensive, and it starts to reframe you as the "villain" (who "should've been" able to prevent the package from being stolen-even though we know that you can't really prevent that) to their "advocate" who is trying to help them in whatever way you can.
Third — Focus on ForwardSo be willing to
- Check cameras if your property has them
- Help them contact Amazon or the carrier
- Walk them through package room or locker procedures
- Show them how to reduce the chance of it happening again
This is empathy in action, and it is powerful.
- "I don't feel safe here"
- "This keeps happening"
- "Why isn't anyone doing anything?"
- "I'm not getting the full value of my rental payment, if $&%^$&%# like this happens."
So friends, I want you to really understand this; the real skill isn't just handling the complaint. It's helping that resident feel like: "They ARE on my side. She isn't ignoring me. And she is trying to help (even if can't make that package magically appear, or you're not reimbursing them for the loss."
That balance is what great onsite teams do really well.
And honestly, it's one of the most underrated skills in this industry.
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