How To Turn Around The Bad Move-In Experience

I work alone in the Office - you know - no leasing team, no receptionist, just me, a team of one. So, it ALL falls on me. I have been with this property since 2005 in one way or another. Usually, I am in a different state at another property and I am the "Go To" person for the Manager here and act as a "Go Between" for her and the Owner/Corporate Office.

At other properties, Managers are usually busy doing "manager things", whatever that means. Don't get me started! As a team of one, I take the calls, show the apartments, set the turn schedule, etc. I also work with vendors and contractors and oversee the capital projects. I create the Budget. Basically, I like working alone, but it does have its drawbacks! One of those is that it all falls on me!

Recently, I needed to be out of the Office and I knew when I returned to the site, there would be two new families moving in. I left with instructions to the Maintenance Team (a team of 2) to inspect the units and make sure everything was on track for the move in dates.

When I returned, unfortunately, I assumed that the units were properly cleaned and ready to go. I was wrong! Each new Resident arrived (check!), lease signed (check!), money exchanged (check!), keys given (check!) .... ummmm. Apartment Examined? Well, I thought that was covered.

I actually rent a lot of apartments and townhouses here at Ashton Glen sight unseen! With the age of technology and internet search engines doing all the work, many times I can pre-lease and lease apartments with people right through our website and over the telephone. This was not the case with these two move-ins, however. Both families had visited prior to their moving into our community, but neither had seen the actual townhome into which they would be moving. The first person came in and we went immediately to the townhouse and walked through. I like to take paper and pen with me to make any notes on anything perhaps not up to par. Pretty soon, I was filling in a lot of notes regarding the cleanliness of the unit. Definitely not normal for us! We discussed the issues, made a plan to remedy the situation and went back to handle the paperwork and details. The second person came at her appointment time and I expected to do a walk through with her as well. For whatever reason she was especially stressed and just wanted me "to hurry it up!" So ... I did.

She wasn't rude, exactly, just not the most pleasant person. Okay - really she was a you-know-what, rhymes with witch - and grabbed her keys. I bet it wasn't more than five minutes later when she came back in and demanded to know which Garage was hers. I must have looked confused and I told her she didn't have a Garage; she had not reserved one beforehand. It was downhill after that, I can tell you. She pretty much was irate and I was the dumbest, rudest B*&%# in the world and WHY DID I RENT HERE? To make matters even worse, she sent her friend who was helping her move in to the Office to demand a Garage key and the telephone number of the Corporate Office.

So, how do you turn this situation from bad and worse to at least civil? Okay - yes, I admit that the cleaning was not perfect. I immediately called my back-up cleaners (this was last minute after all) and they came in and did a fabulous job! I sent our senior Maintenance Technician in and he stayed with her until every maintenance issue was addressed to her satisfaction. AND, when she complained the following day about a maintenance issue (a Saturday), the Maintenance Tech went to her apartment and addressed her complaint because he was already on sire attending to another emergency work order. AND, when she called two weeks later on a Sunday, I happened to answer the phone because I was on site for an emergency maintenance issue - but she did not need to know that! - and took her work order request and told her someone would be there in the morning.

I also sent her a note (handwritten) to thank her, welcome her, and to follow up about the Garage issue. We were able to resolve that as well (even though she did call the Corporate Office and complain about me.) In any event, although she does not smile and wave at me when I see her drive past me, I will continue to smile and wave at her. The thing I wish I could get her to understand is that I treated her the same way I have treated everyone here at Move-In. The Maintenance Team handles her requests the same way they handle everyone's - and they do routine things on weekends if they know about them and are already here. Just because they are NICE people and great Maintenance Technicians. This is normal for us! I feel terrible - still - that she experienced a less than perfect move in, but sometimes this happens even on the best property.

The one thing I will admit to though is this: I got upset about this! I was livid that she called the Corporate Office and I was angry that the Corporate Office immediately wanted me to give her a Garage, plus have me put in a remote control, too! I finally said out of exasperation that I would do this IF he was ordering me to do it BUT I would not be happy about it.

I wrote her a note of apology for the "bad move in experience" and I begged forgiveness ... but she did not get a free garage with a remote control. She ended getting a Garage ... with no remote ... but with a bit of a price reduction. I felt that was fair - because that is what I would do for ANY RESIDENT who did not have a great move in experience.