June 7, 2024
The Ultimate Handbook to Successful Property Management Customer Service Outsourcing
According to recent research, customers are more likely to purchase or come back again after a positive experience. Repeat business can boost word-of-mouth advertising (the most trusted kind of advertising), increase your ROI on spent advertising, and more. Loyal clients are even more likely to try new products or services when they trust the company in question.
That’s the power of a five-star customer service experience. If you’re a property management business owner and considering outsourcing your customer service, here is our ultimate handbook to successful Property Management Customer Service Outsourcing.
Understanding the Basics of Outsourcing
Outsourcing is the process of hiring another company to delegate some of your business operations or tasks. It’s a smart business strategy that can help you succeed and lead to business growth.
Commonly outsourced tasks can include:
- Accounting and administrative
- Financial management
- Customer service
- And more
When these tasks are taken off of your daily routine, you can free up time that you can use to focus on other aspects of your business.
Outsourcing can be beneficial to your property management business. It brings dozens of advantages, such as cost savings, access to top talent, and flexibility. When you outsource your customer service, you have the capability to offer high-quality 24/7 support at a lower cost. This can result in business continuity and increased client satisfaction.
Identifying When To Outsource
When it comes to outsourcing, there are a few things to consider. One of the most important things would be your time. In business, bandwidth is the most valuable asset you have, and time wasted is money wasted.
Determine where you’re spending your time and whether that helps you achieve your business goals. That will also help identify whether it’s time to outsource or not. There are numerous reasons why businesses start outsourcing… but it’s almost more important to identify when the best time is to start outsourcing.
Here are a few reasons that might be your signal to start outsourcing for your Property Management business:
1. Your time is lost to small and tedious tasks.
You may be surprised to know that what you might think of as “small tasks” might be taking up a lot of your time — and we mean a lot. Research shows that 94% of US-based workers spend part (or almost all) of their day on repetitive, menial tasks.
It’s not only time wasted, but repetition like this can increase worker fatigue while decreasing productivity and creative problem-solving. If you want to scale your business, consider delegating these “small tasks” to help you maintain and streamline your operations.
2. You can’t attend to business priorities.
If there are things that keep you from doing more significant tasks for business growth or you’re spending your resources in the wrong places, then it could be time to hand it over to the experts.
For example, maybe you find that much of your day is lost to answering potential tenant requests. However, you really need to tour new properties to acquire nearby — it sounds like you could use some offshore assistance.
3. You want to maximize your budget.
Building your own in-house customer service might eat up your financial resources. One fantastic thing about outsourcing is you can have a dedicated customer service team without breaking the bank. It’s a cost-effective solution that can help you use your budget in other ways to scale your business.
Choosing the Right Outsourcing Partner
Every business has unique needs and requirements, so it’s crucial to choose the right outsourcing partner. Asking the right questions can help determine whether they’re the right fit for your business.
Consider asking about:
- What’s their track record in the industry?
- Do their company values and culture align with yours?
- Can they cater to your business needs and goals?
- Is the company implementing fair labor practices?
- Do their pricing models fit your budget?
With a growing number of outsourcing companies in the industry, it can be challenging to find the right partner for you. Hopefully, as long you have your criteria, you are off to a great start. These criteria can help you narrow down your options and choose the best service provider.
Setting Clear Goals and Expectations
A good outsourcing partner is nothing without having clear business goals and expectations. Establish your goals before starting your outsourcing journey.
Ask yourself a few questions like these:
- Why did you choose to outsource your customer service?
- Are you getting overwhelmed with customer queries?
- Do you want to focus on other aspects of your business?
- What do you want to achieve?
These goals will drive you to success, so it’s imperative to be clear about these to know what to expect and what to measure.
KPIs or Key Performance Indicators are quantifiable measures used by companies to:
- Track progress
- Identify improvement areas
- Make informed decisions
These enable you to assess the quality and efficiency of your outsourcing service provider and outsourced team.
Training and Integration
Your outsourced team is an extension of your company; they’re not just another department in your company’s operations. So it’s crucial that when tenants call for help, it feels authentic to your brand.
- Be involved.
Training can take up a significant amount of time for managers and business owners. When you outsource, you can gleefully cross off several times off your to-do list. “Create a training manual, hire people, create onboarding, train and onboard…” Cross all of that off your list.
Your offshore outsourcing company handles the hiring and the training. Communicate with them about your organization’s values and share any information they might need. The outsourcing provider teaches their team what they need to know about your brand.
- Share feedback.
Feedback (both positive and constructive) helps everyone grow as employees. If you don’t enjoy how one member of your remote team is operating, let their manager know. Property management outsourcing companies can typically switch out members quickly.
Along a similar vein, positive feedback is also very welcome! If a tenant tells you they had a stellar experience with a representative, perhaps send that feedback to your outsourced team’s manager.
- Be transparent.
Whether it’s with the outsourcing partner itself or your outsourced team, open communication is a must. Your BPO provider usually shares reports to keep you updated with your team’s progress and performance through meetings or emails. Ask any questions you might have and address any existing issues.
Monitoring and Managing Outsourced Operations
It goes without saying that an outsourcing journey goes beyond onboarding customer service teams. After all, they are now the face of your brand. The experience they give to your customers will reflect on your company. It’s vital that an outsourced customer service team has their own internal monitoring.
To keep your customers happy and quality on par, review these general guidelines:
Always be proactive. In the property management industry, there are peak and off-peak seasons. Being proactive helps prepare for potential conflicts and risks. You can also foresee whether to expand your team, especially during peak seasons. That way, you can preserve the quality of your services and better adapt to changing market conditions. Let your outsourcing provider know when your busy seasons are so they can prepare to ramp up your crew.
Establish roles and responsibilities. To avoid confusion and promote a seamless operation, find a provider who has a streamlined process to help establish clear roles and responsibilities for all involved.
Foster a collaborative work environment. Keep your doors open — metaphorically since your outsourced company is likely working remotely.
Evaluating and Optimizing Outsourcing Performance
Techniques for regular assessment and continuous improvement of outsourced services.
If you’re outsourcing, your data is your friend. It tells you everything you need to know about your team, that’s why regular evaluations are necessary.
Discover these three techniques for evaluating and optimizing your team’s performance:
- Outsourcing providers usually send reports periodically. With this, you can gather and analyze data that shows the performance and quality of the output of your team.
- Share regular feedback with your outsourced team. Whether it’s positive or negative, it’s essential to let them know the results of your assessment.
- Determine any gaps or issues that may exist. Address the pain points and come up with action plans. Collaborate with your outsourcing provider in the problem-solving process.
Outsourcing Case Studies and Success Stories
GuestWiser
GuestWiser is a California-based company aiming to offer guests a “home away from home” experience. With a presence in three US states, the company ensures guests are well-rested and receives 24/7 assistance from on-site managers and cleaners. Their exceptional service supports their mission of making “home away from home” a reality.
They needed to maintain high-quality and round-the-clock property management support for their clients. So they partnered with STAFFVIRTUAL. We provided skilled and experienced team members, established team leaders, created training materials for their daily operations, and established KPIs.
STAFFVIRTUAL’s property management customer service team helped GuestWiser uphold their mission of providing a “home away from home” experience.
StripViewSuites
StripViewSuites, founded in 2015 by Alex Kostushin, is a full-service property management company specializing in short-term vacation rentals. With a background in real estate and property management, the company manages properties in Las Vegas, offering guests and owners a viable option.
Through STAFFVIRTUAL’s expertise in recruitment, we were able to help them find the right candidate for their Customer Service Representative roles. We built a team focused on multitasking, productivity, and integrity. As a result, their 24/7 business ensured increased booking rates and real-time productivity.
Find Successful Property Management Customer Service Outsourcing Today
Outsourcing is a great business strategy for businesses looking to scale up, but we have to understand the basics first. Additionally, it’s critical to know when is the right time to do so and who is the best partner to outsource with.
We understand you have a lot of choices to make, but when you’ve decided to give it a go, remember these guidelines for successful outsourcing in property management. These can assist you in navigating through the complexities of outsourcing.
It’s time to expand your business with dedicated property management customer service teams. Book a call with STAFFVIRTUAL and tell us what you need. We’ll help you successfully outsource customer service in four clear steps!
Sources:
Metrics and Key Performance Indicators | Virginia Tech
The End Of Rinse And Repeat: 2 Ways Manual And Repetitive Tasks Kill Workplace Innovation | Forbes
Why Word of Mouth Beats Traditional Advertising | Business News Daily