When I set up my HMO business in 2007, it was early days for the Professional Houseshare sector (or Executive houseshares as they used to call them then), so the standard of the properties and the service offered by landlords at the time was really only marginally better than what was offered to the LHA tenants.
I knew I wanted to carve out a new niche and push the standards up a notch or two, so I focused my product and marketing on Aussie-influenced (!!) cool and homely design, installing quality furniture, cool artwork, and cosy cushions, and styling rooms for staged photos and the like.
I understood that my passion for fashion, coupled with my business, staff and financial management experience would serve me well in my new business endeavour, but I had never considered the unique skills my restaurant experience would also bring to the business. These skills, developed and honed within the Australian hospitality industry, is what really gave my brand staying power when many other houseshare businesses went bankrupt during the recession, and it’s what keeps the business going strong more than a decade after first setting up the houses.
These unique skills, of course, are based in customer service. Customer Service is actually a skill that I found decidedly lacking in ALL business sectors in the UK until perhaps 2010 or later. That includes for restaurants too. But after 20 years of living in this country, I’m finally seeing all types of businesses begin to focus on delivering exceptional customer service – including in the property industry. And it’s about time too!
The concept of providing customer service is quite a contentious issue for many landlords. I suspect these landlord’s understanding of what constitutes exceptional customer service is something akin to the stuffy and OTT service you receive in a fine dining restaurant, rather than the friendly yet professional style of hospitality the Aussie’s are renowned for. To set the record straight, customer service is not about treating your tenant like a God and bending over backwards to deliver their every need. It’s about creating a warm and welcoming experience for the tenant, and making them feel valued, appreciated and respected.
So if you want to jump on the customer service train, here’s some top tips to steal from the best in the hospitality industry – the Aussies!
Friendliness
The Brits have typically always been ‘cool’ (as in detached) servers,. The Americans cheesy and false (“have a great day y’all”). Where the Aussies seem to strike the right amount of genuine friendliness and interest in people, without being sickly or overbearing.
“Your smile is your logo, your personality is your business card, and how you leave people feeling after an experience with you becomes your trademark”.
But not friends
Important to note here – you need to be friendly, but you are not their friend. Whenever there’s a post in a Facebook group about having good relations with tenants, there will be a number of landlords who say they are invited (and go) to parties held by their tenants. This is a BIG mistake as you are crossing a crucial line between friendliness and friends, and although you might feel great that your tenants like you enough to want to hangout with you, it will only end in disaster. You must have boundaries.
Professionalism
Efficiency and professionalism are essential as this is what makes the friendliness really work. If you offer friendliness without the amazing professionalism to back it up, you just appear to be a lazy and time wasting oversharer.
In-depth product knowledge
Know your product inside out – bordering on geeky. If you self-manage, know each of your tenants names, ages, careers and hobbies. Know your property as if you live there. Know the local area. Handle your software and systems like a pro. If you have a property manager, they need to know this stuff.
Attentiveness
It sounds simple and obvious, but if you are self-managing, it’s easy to get distracted by other things – maybe you’re waiting on a call from an agent or an investor, or there’s an emergency leak you need to deal with while you’re stuck doing a viewing or moving someone in. You need to make your tenant feel that they have your undivided attention when they are with you.
If you’re not able to deliver on the above points, perhaps you need to look into hiring someone for the role who can deliver 100% on your behalf.
As quality customer service becomes more commonplace within different sectors in the UK, your tenants will grow to expect it within the rentals space too. So why not get ahead of the change, and start to implement some basic customer service skills in your landlording business. Taking your customer service levels up that extra notch and delivering it Aussie style, you will create happy, respectful tenants who stay longer, and will give your business staying power for the challenging years ahead.
Want more?
Did you know SenecaRooms offers HMO business consultancy services? We’ll help you improve the performance of your HMO landlording business – increase your profits, increase tenant satisfaction, and increase your freedom and enjoyment from the business too!
Book a free initial chat with us here: https://senecarooms.com/contact-us/