How Answering Services Help Property Managers (and Tenants) Keep Their Cool

Nothing makes your residents madder than a faulty air conditioner on a scorching hot day. And when they call for maintenance are met a window of time in which they’re asked to wait – or, worse, receive no answer whatsoever – well, “hot temper” doesn’t even begin to describe it.

Answering services are an efficient and cost-effective means to make sure that all maintenance calls, not merely those regarding AC repair, are handled quickly and compassionately.

But there’s more. Your answering service will do what it can to keep increasingly angry and sweaty tenants at bay. But here’s the big question for property managers: do your residents understand what constitutes a heat-related emergency?

Extreme temperatures – in most cases those surpassing 90 degrees Fahrenheit – are considered emergencies, and warrant swift, decisive action on your part depending on your tenant demographics and your company’s policies.

Establishing clear guidelines on what your answering service should and should not contact you about is a good first step in making sure those summer woes are avoided this year. Your answering service will follow your specific criteria for what constitutes an emergency call.

Remember, answering services are meant to make property management more manageable while keeping both you and your tenants comfortable and content:

• Your answering service will help you prioritize all summer maintenance calls – from fire hazards to problematic pools and beyond – and escalate those that are related to a threat, hazard, or emergency.
• Callers with after-hour concerns will be able to reach a human being who is knowledgeable of your complex’s protocols and procedures, and compassionate and reassuring even when maintenance must wait until the following day.
• Professional answering services will consistently make the right call whenever there is any chance of injury, sickness, or property damage, understanding that emergencies do not always follow any preauthorized or mapped-out structure or schedule.

Edwards Answering Service saves property managers, businesses, organizations, and more time, money, and stress. Trusting us with your calls can protect your reputation. Call 800-606-3273 to learn more and to ask about our free trial.