I'm sure you've all seen the story about the Jet Blue flight attendant who got so stressed out by a customer that he creatively "exited" his job by going on a verbal rant on the plane's loudspeaker, grabbing a couple of beers and leaving the plan via the emergency slide. Ok, I have to say, I like his style. Who wouldn't want to quit their job by sliding down a fun inflatable slide? I think we have a lot to learn from him, and while I do admire his "cojones," I think most importantly, we can take this opportunity to learn how to keep from getting this burnt out ourselves.
Dealing with needy residents, grumpy maintenance men and pushy vendors on a daily basis certainly takes its toll. One minute it's the resident mad that you're about to file for their eviction, the next its your maintenance supervisor grumbling about having to shave his evergrowing beard. Then there's that vendor who just won't leave you alone about signing up for their services. Working in the leasing office, whether a manager or leasing consultant, puts us on the front lines to take constant abuse. I think its only natural that you're going to get burnt out. Afterall, there's only so much one person can take! So here are some tips to help you cope so that you continue to love your job and don't get tempted to pull a "Steven Slater!"
1. When you find yourself in a stressful situation, take a moment. If you have a resident in front of you going on and on and on, it's ok to excuse yourself for a moment to regroup. Take some time to go into another room, take a deep breath, and think about how you're going to handle the situation. If you don't take a moment, you could very well get into a heated argument with the person, saying things that you don't mean and making the situation even worse.
2. Pass it on. If you're in a situation that you feel is going no where, get someone else in your office to help you. There's no need to keep going back and forth with someone to no avail. Maybe your co-worker will have a fresh perspective on the situation and be able to handle it better.
3. Managers....watch your team! Keep an eye out for comments and actions that your team members may make indicating they're a little stressed. It's best to nip it in the bud rather than watch it escalate and make them unhappy with their job. If you notice someone's having an off day, have a talk with them, buy them lunch, do whatever you need to to get to the root of their issue so it doesn't consume them. People feel so much better when they know they have someone else in their corner.
4. Regionals and Managers...offer "time outs" for your team members. Maybe it's a trip for pedicures for your girls or a golf outing for your guys. Everyone needs a little break sometime, and when your team sees that you're looking out for them and willing to help out, it will do wonders for your team morale!
Anyone else have any more suggestions? Post your comments for the rest of us to see!
Morgan Oney, CAM
www.getmoreleases.com Unique, risk free advertising for your community!
Friday, August 6, 2010
Get your residents together on a budget!
Getting your residents together for a special event is a fantastic resident retention tool. Not only does it show your residents you care about them by showing them a good time, it also gives them an opportunity to socialize with their neighbors and form a bond with your community. Holding regular resident events is a crucial tool to making your residents stay put!
So what happens if you're managing a property that's a bit low on funds? No worries! There are lots of things you can do for your residents that cost little to nothing. Here are some great ideas to help you stay connected with your residents on a budget!
1. Utilize what you have! More than likely, your community offers a wide range of amenities. Take advantage of that and host some events using those features. Some examples include:
-Fitness Center-hold group fitness classes, nutritional counseling, weight lifting contest
-Business Center-resume writing course, job loss support group, computer program workshops (like how to learn Excel, Power Point, etc.)
-Car Wash-The obvious-resident car wash!
-Pool-The obvious-resident pool party!
-Sports Courts/billiards-form basketball, tennis, volleyball leagues, competitions
-Common grounds-host resident yard sale, pet parade, children's bike parade
-Lake-Fishing outing, "green team" grounds clean up, nature walk
-Cinema-host regular movie nights for adults and kids, show special events like awards shows and big games
2. Talk to your vendors. Most are willing to donate gift cards and other items that you can offer your guests as door prizes.
3. Check out local restaurants. For a little bit of advertising, many local restaurants will be willing to donate or deeply discount food for your resident events.
4. Contact local home based business reps. There are so many great home based businesses out there that are of interest to lots of groups of people. The representatives of these businesses would love an opportunity to show their product to your residents. Most will do it for free and show them a great time! Some great ones include:
-Creative Memories-scrapbooking
-Mary Kay, Avon-make up and skin care
-Lia Sophia, Premier, Silpada-jewelry
-Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple-cooking
-Uppercase Living, Southern Living-decorating
-Usbourne Books, Discovery Toys-children's products
-Scentsy, Partylite-candles
-Tupperware-storage containers
5. Organize nights for interest groups. There are so many things out there that people love to do in their free time, and more importantly, they love to do it as a group. Give your residents, and even outside members of your community, a place to come together to do what they love. Ideas include book clubs, scrapbooking clubs, knitting clubs, painting clubs, Bunco group, playgroup...the possibilities are endless!
6. Create a neighborhood watch group. While it doesn't sound very exciting, it's a great way to bring your neighbors together. Enlist your local police department for help-they'll conduct seminars for your residents for free!
7. Resident night out! Check with your local movie theathers, bowling alleys, fun parks, etc. to see if they'll offer a special discout to your residents on a particular night. Your residents can get out, enjoy the special rate, socialize with their neighbors, and best of all, it didn't cost you a dime!
If you have any ideas on hosting a resident event on a budget, leave a comment!
Morgan Oney, CAM
www.getmoreleases.com Online advertising with no set up fees, no lead fees and no monthly fees!
So what happens if you're managing a property that's a bit low on funds? No worries! There are lots of things you can do for your residents that cost little to nothing. Here are some great ideas to help you stay connected with your residents on a budget!
1. Utilize what you have! More than likely, your community offers a wide range of amenities. Take advantage of that and host some events using those features. Some examples include:
-Fitness Center-hold group fitness classes, nutritional counseling, weight lifting contest
-Business Center-resume writing course, job loss support group, computer program workshops (like how to learn Excel, Power Point, etc.)
-Car Wash-The obvious-resident car wash!
-Pool-The obvious-resident pool party!
-Sports Courts/billiards-form basketball, tennis, volleyball leagues, competitions
-Common grounds-host resident yard sale, pet parade, children's bike parade
-Lake-Fishing outing, "green team" grounds clean up, nature walk
-Cinema-host regular movie nights for adults and kids, show special events like awards shows and big games
2. Talk to your vendors. Most are willing to donate gift cards and other items that you can offer your guests as door prizes.
3. Check out local restaurants. For a little bit of advertising, many local restaurants will be willing to donate or deeply discount food for your resident events.
4. Contact local home based business reps. There are so many great home based businesses out there that are of interest to lots of groups of people. The representatives of these businesses would love an opportunity to show their product to your residents. Most will do it for free and show them a great time! Some great ones include:
-Creative Memories-scrapbooking
-Mary Kay, Avon-make up and skin care
-Lia Sophia, Premier, Silpada-jewelry
-Pampered Chef, Tastefully Simple-cooking
-Uppercase Living, Southern Living-decorating
-Usbourne Books, Discovery Toys-children's products
-Scentsy, Partylite-candles
-Tupperware-storage containers
5. Organize nights for interest groups. There are so many things out there that people love to do in their free time, and more importantly, they love to do it as a group. Give your residents, and even outside members of your community, a place to come together to do what they love. Ideas include book clubs, scrapbooking clubs, knitting clubs, painting clubs, Bunco group, playgroup...the possibilities are endless!
6. Create a neighborhood watch group. While it doesn't sound very exciting, it's a great way to bring your neighbors together. Enlist your local police department for help-they'll conduct seminars for your residents for free!
7. Resident night out! Check with your local movie theathers, bowling alleys, fun parks, etc. to see if they'll offer a special discout to your residents on a particular night. Your residents can get out, enjoy the special rate, socialize with their neighbors, and best of all, it didn't cost you a dime!
If you have any ideas on hosting a resident event on a budget, leave a comment!
Morgan Oney, CAM
www.getmoreleases.com Online advertising with no set up fees, no lead fees and no monthly fees!
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