Customer Service: A Key to Business Value
While advancements in AI chatbot customer service help are notable in the consumer sector, there may be questions about the same for B2B customers.
In all the hype about AI and automation in the last few years, it’s assumed computers can deliver the easy process, subtle technical answers and specific info that B2B buyers/customers need.
A B2B account is very important. Property management firms in particular must ensure their owner landlord clients get the response they need to run their businesses and that tenants are served well too.
For hundreds of thousands of years, humans have always spoken with each other. Disconnecting from that natural engagement presents risks for businesses. In fact, a key purpose for trained CSRs today is to mitigate the alienation humans experience when working with technology.
Software is critical to reducing costs, yet managers should ensure a layer of human customer service is used to ensure the best experience for key customers. And customers feel more confident and committed when interacting with a real person who responds to them personally. Is there any better personalization than by a real person? Let’s look at AI bots closer.
Can AI Bots Make Costly Mistakes?
Image: AI-arts-by-Dyonix. License Creative Commons
If you’ve used ChatGPT already, you would have experienced the limitations of AI software tools as they currently exist. The answers might be wrong, misinformed, confusing, trite, academic or insufficient. The fact is, the Bot doesn’t know if it’s accurate and can’t understand the customer’s frame of mind. Worse, bots ask customers questions about where they went wrong!
A key point for business today, is that busy managers (and tenants) don’t have time to wait through the academic linear processes that AI bots are often limited to.
Landlords, vendors, contractors, and tenants may not always know what the problem is or how to describe it. AI bots rely on the user’s own comprehension of the issue, not knowing which details are important. A human CSR is more intelligent (i.e, social intelligence), where they can hear a customer’s tone of voice or see their face, and ask questions to define the problem and immediately allay negative feelings about their experience.
And a great property management technology software should always be enhanced with helpful support people.
Cheap Can Ultimately be Very Expensive
Chatbots are proven to be less expensive, reduce wasted call time, and can help customers get routed to answers or the right human customer service representative. It is impressive that Chatbots can speak many languages today, are available 24/7, can access all help files, and respond quickly to questions on a vast variety of issues.
Yet, with respect to users of property management software, which involves complex decision-making, being left alone with a help Chatbot can be alienating.
Chatbots are sometimes used unwisely during peak hours to respond to sales inquiries which is hardly a great way to handle new sales prospects calling in who can in a moment hang up and search for your competitor.
Being greeted with a robot (especially one faking a real person) is not an ideal experience for your important landlord client either. A landlord, HOA manager, or property management company manager are a company’s bread and butter. For these people, a direct toll-free line to your customer service staff is essential.
And while customer service is unheralded in many industries (Facebook, Google, Amazon for instance offer almost no human service), B2B property management services is one sector that must offer excellent human customer care.
10 Practical Examples of the Value of Property Management CSRs
In general, in the rental property sector, trained staff and customer service pros provide:
- Maintenance Requests and Follow-Up: A tenant reports a complex issue like a water leak, infestation or mold issue. A human representative can help identify the problem if needed, then launch the appropriate maintenance request and also empathize with the tenant’s concerns, explain the steps being taken, and set up alerts so the tenant and landlord know all is being dealt with.
- Reduce Anxiety and Uncertainty: reaching a CSR gives landlords, tenants, or managers some certainty that the management team is aware of their issue and is taking action. While ticketing is normal for most events, key customers should be served quickly with a human acknowledgment that action is being taken — particularly when there is a physical risk or financial loss possible.
- Personal Connection: many tenants and landlords prefer to interact with real people, as it is an emotional requirement for them. It’s not that they’re anti-technology, but rather in an automated service environment, many still feel management is about people, not things or reports. They want to hear a real voice that is talking back to them, providing reassurance they’re a valued tenant, vendor, contractor, resident or landlord and their tenancy or account matters.
- Lease Agreement Clarifications: If tenants have questions about specific clauses in their lease agreements, such as renewal terms, unit modifications, tenant insurance items, or pet policies, a human representative can offer detailed explanations and personal guidance based on the individual case.
- Conflict Resolution: If there’s a dispute between neighbors in a rental property over noise or shared spaces, a human representative can mediate the situation, understand the nuances and emotions involved, and work towards a mutually agreeable solution.
- Emergency Situations: In cases of emergencies like a gas leak, fire alarm, or security breach, a human service rep can quickly assess the situation, provide immediate guidance, and escalate the matter to emergency services if needed.
- Payment Issues: When a tenant faces difficulties with online payments or needs to discuss payment plans due to financial hardships, a human rep can respond quickly with the right questions and advice with understanding and offer customized solutions.
- Property Viewing and Inquiries: Prospective tenants often have specific questions or concerns about a property. Human reps can provide detailed, personalized information, parking arrangements, security passes, and even arrange special viewing requests and feel certain that the landlord or property manager is guaranteed to be there.
- Move-In/Move-Out Assistance: Human reps often assist tenants with the move-in or move-out process, including inspections, documentation, elevator or building access, temporary parking, specific advice, and addressing any last-minute concerns or queries, and for quick in-person responses.
- Complaints Handling: When addressing complaints about property conditions, services, or staff, a human representative can provide a listening ear, immediate reassurance, and a promise of swift action. A CSR’s calm voice and demeanor are a key component of managing customers or owners properly. Often, setting the mood is the solution, so the caller can resolve their own issues.
For landlord clients, the matter of tenant service is important.
Caring for Real People
Another matter that’s not spoken of enough, is a landlord or tenant’s real feelings when grinding through an online tech or bot response. There is a time when the customer considers, “Am I being treated well here? Am I valued?” Because if the bot wastes their time or they get stuck, then your brand isn’t delivering the valuable experience they were buying.
There are companies who train and utilize their customer service staff well. If they’re the only experience customers have, then it can be a signficant value add for their business.
In property management, good service is what it’s all about. That goes for a property management software firm, a local property management company or a community association.
All customer paths should lead to your sales team or your top human CSR because your customer is your business.
Ready for great technology and better customer service? Call us at 415 800 1245 to discover ManageCasa.
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