According to iPropertyManagement, 16.6% of landlord-managed properties have owners who spend between 20 and 79 hours per month actively managing their properties. Being a landlord or property manager should be a relatively passive job, but many find themselves spending more time and energy than expected on the job.
To make things easier, you should streamline various workflows, including the support ticket one. With the following tips, you'll be able to make better use of your time, as well as improve renter satisfaction, retention, and revenue.
Centralize and Structure Your Ticket Intake Channels
The first thing you should do is consolidate all maintenance requests into one organized system. Right now, you're probably juggling emails, calls, and texts, which can be messy. Leave that behind and streamline your support ticket workflow by using a centralized system such as a tenant portal, mobile app, or dedicated support email.
After choosing a primary intake platform, you should build a standardized request form with required fields, such as:
- Unit number
- Issue type
- Urgency
- Photos
Make sure to set up auto-confirmations so tenants know when their requests are received. This sets up a repeatable process that ensures consistency and reduces back-and-forth communication. It also minimizes missed requests, and you'll improve response times as well.
Categorize and Prioritize Requests Effectively
Once you've centralized your tickets, you'll want to categorize them so they're not one big mess. Organizing them also helps you streamline and prioritize the tickets.
Create 5-10 clear categories, such as:
- Plumbing
- Electrical
- HVAC
- General maintenance
Next, assign priority levels, such as urgent, high, medium, and low. You should also establish guidelines so staff can categorize tickets consistently.
This will allow you to quickly assess what needs immediate attention versus what can be scheduled for later handling. In addition, this gives you a system for handling critical issues promptly without neglecting routine maintenance.
Set Clear SLAs and Automate Ticket Routing
Service level agreements (SLAs) can help set clear expectations for all parties involved. Start by defining response and resolution times for each priority level set in the above section. For example, you can dictate that urgent issues must be responded to within one hour and resolved within 24 hours.
It can be beneficial to pair this with automated routing rules where tickets are routed to the right technician or vendor instantly. This reduces manual workload and human error, and it ensures that tickets are assigned quickly and consistently. As a result, you're likely to see improved tenant satisfaction.
Enable Real-Time Updates Through Tenant Portals
Often, renters get frustrated because they feel like they're out of the loop. So the key to keeping them happy is to help them stay informed.
You can do this through a tenant portal that has real-time updates. Residents can track the status of their requests there, all without having to contact your team. Plus, automated notifications can let them know when certain steps go through, such as:
- A technician is assigned
- When work is scheduled
- When the issue is resolved
Renters appreciate transparency, and this can build trust. In addition, this portal can significantly cut down on inbound inquiries, which can free up your team's time to resolve issues instead of answering status questions.
Track Performance Through Various Methods
When you make changes in your processes, you should monitor the results. That way, you can see what's working and what's not, and then make appropriate tweaks for a better workflow.
To do this, leverage reporting tools and integrations, which can easily work with things like accounting software and scheduling tools. You should track key performance indicators (KPIs) like:
- Average response time
- Resolution time
- Ticket volume
- Vendor performance
Time tracking can help you identify any points of inefficiency. Plus, you'll have more accurate billing for maintenance work.
Unlock Efficient Property Management
Property management is hard work, especially if you're the landlord and owner, too. But with the right tools, you can make your life easier and focus on the more pleasant things in life.
By streamlining your support ticket workflow with good software and organization, you can reduce your workload. In addition, there's the extra benefit of better tenant satisfaction, so it's a win-win for all involved.
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