Residential Lettings is undoubtedly a competitive market. There are 16,547 businesses registered as estate agencies in the UK according to figures obtained from Companies House – the equivalent of 25.6 for every 100,000 residents. Assuming only 1/3 of those offer lettings as a service, that means there is a potential pool of around 5500 businesses who could be classed as letting agents in the UK.
“IN THE WORLD OF INTERNET CUSTOMER SERVICE, IT’S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER YOUR COMPETITOR IS ONLY ONE MOUSE CLICK AWAY.” – DOUG WARNER
When looking at the benefits of what we do to our letting agent clients, one key thing to factor in is that our aim is to become an extension of the client, not an addition. This means our core responsibility is to handle calls on our clients’ behalf in the same way they would – hence our thorough onboarding process and consultation period. In doing so, we therefore enable our client to offer unrivalled 24 hour service availability, giving them the edge on competitors who may only operate 9-5.
Below are some of the core benefits to being able to effectively manage properties 24 hours a day.
Improve Customer Service
Customers expect businesses to be available when convenient for them. Being met with a voicemail can make customers feel isolated and not heard. Recent statistics from Forbes magazine show that 80 percent of callers sent to voicemail do not leave messages because they don’ think they’ll even be heard. Having a professional member of staff answer to ensure that their concerns are heard, or needs met, helps to drastically improve customer satisfaction.
Capture All Enquiries
A recent client case study showed that we helped them to capture over £25,000 worth of enquiries made out of normal business hours over the course of just 3 months. As above, with 80 percent of callers hanging up when meeting a voicemail, their next action is to call your competitors. We can ensure that no caller feels unheard and no enquiry is missed, be it evenings, nights or over the weekend.
Reduce Unnecessary Spend
Effective management of emergency calls will save you money on unnecessary call outs made by end users. Many “emergencies” can be safely managed for resolution the next working day with the right information and support. Utilising our cutting-edge Remote Video Assistance tool, we can help callers to manage issues on your behalf, reducing needless call outs while providing a positive and memorable customer experience.
Save Your Staff Time
Having full end-to-end management of any situations means we will aim to resolve issues on your behalf to save you time the next working day. We will always provide a breakdown of any actions taken and the end resolution, so your staff can focus on daytime operations comfortable in the knowledge that night time maintenance calls will not become part of their “to-do” list the next day.
Emergencies Managed Effectively
Using our experience and qualifications, we will make commercially focused decisions on your behalf regarding how to handle emergencies. Our aim is to reduce possible damage and provide exceptional support to your end users in order to protect our clients’ interests.
24/7 Availability
Outside of 9am-5pm Mon-Fri, there are 128 hours per week to consider as “out-of-hours”. Our trained staff are on call from our offices to handle calls on your behalf, giving you the ability to be a 24/7 operation. This includes Christmas and Bank Holidays at no extra cost. In summary, working with us allows our residential lettings clients to spread the workload, reduce callout costs, mitigate risk and maintain a competitive advantage over rival firms who operate 9-5 Monday to Friday with a limited support out of “normal” working hours. To discuss how we can help you to deliver measurable improvements to all aspects of your business, contact us to arrange a no-obligation process audit today.
Would you like more info?
If you’d like to discuss how we can deliver measurable value to your property management company, please get in touch.
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