You should have someone working for your multifamily management business who is in charge of overseeing the company’s online reputation. It should be this individual’s job to respond to any reviews as they come in.
It is common for businesses to leave automatic responses such as “Thank you for leaving feedback. We strive to provide a one-of-a-kind living experience for all of our tenants.” The problem is that this quickly becomes repetitive, and someone browsing the site can see how unoriginal your team is. You want to make it clear to prospective tenants that they will not just be treated as another income source if they decide to rent through you. That means avoiding some common cringe-worthy phrases whenever you leave responses to reviews.
“Thank You for Your Feedback.”
Managers say this phrase for both positive and negative reviews. It is the definition of the word “fluff.” You want to do more than simply thank someone for leaving feedback; you want to make it clear you will incorporate that feedback into your future processes. It helps the reviewer believe his or her review will lead to some useful end purpose.
For a positive review, you are better off saying something along the lines of, “We are tremendously grateful you took the time to leave such kind words about your resident experience.” For a negative review, consider saying, “We appreciate your candor, and we promise to do better going forward.”
“We Are Happy To Hear…”
You are most likely to say this following a positive review, but it fails to capitalize on the opportunity you were just presented. Responding to reviews is your company’s way of coming across as human. It makes it clear there are real people behind the computers, with genuine emotions. There are various ways to get creative, such as by saying, “Wow! You just made this office’s day.”
“We Are Sorry To Hear…”
Similarly, you need something different to say when you receive a negative review. The word “sorry” can come across as hollow to some. Prospective tenants may think you are being insincere and assuming saying “Sorry” will fix everything. You need to do more to acknowledge your mistakes as a multifamily management company. A better response would be, “My sincerest apologies we didn’t fix the refrigerator in a more timely fashion.” By directly addressing the issue, you take responsibility for the failure rather than just deliver an empty platitude.
“We Strive To Provide…”
This sentence should never come up after a review. To say you “strive” to do something means you try to do it. When you rent out a property, you either rent or you do not. There is no try. Prospective renters want to see that you actually deliver results because you are supposed to be experts in your field.
As an alternative statement for a positive review, you can say, “We are delighted to hear you have never had any major problems while renting through us.” For a negative review, try saying, “These reviews are always tough to read. For years, our team has remained dutiful in helping all our tenants, and we will do everything in our power to correct the problem.”
“Please Contact Us.”
This seems like a good go-to phrase to end a response with. The problem with it is that it is a vague blanket statement. It gives the appearance that management wants to do something. However, most of the time, it said with the expectation that the tenant is never going to attempt contact.
You need to give tenants a clear way to reach out to you. After a negative review, you can say, “I have a few ideas on how to resolve the issue you are having. If you are open to a meeting, please reach out to us at XXX-XXX-XXXX.” With this response, you give tenants a reason to initiate contact, so they are more likely to reach out and hopefully be satisfied with the resolution.
It takes more time to craft individual responses than giving out empty platitudes. However, it results in happier tenants and a more fruitful business in the long run. For management teams that need more guidance managing their online reputations, reach out to Opiniion. We can help you receive instant customer feedback through easy-to-understand analytics. We know how to help your business, so sign up today.
