How to Deal with
an Uncommunicative Managing Agent
After speaking to dozens of block management customers, the first thing often mentioned is the communication issues with their managing agents. Slow replies, poor building maintenance and rude staff are some of the most common complaints that came out of JuxtaBlock’s recent survey.
Managers who are overstretched tend to not resolve or even worse, not acknowledge customer complaints. Apparently, managers who also have a high turnover of staff gets more complaints as well. The biggest issue seems to be around the processes each management firm uses to deal with customers and complaints.
Obviously, these problems cannot be overlooked. If not dealt with early, these can lead to a high rate of customer dissatisfaction and even damage to the property or building. Our team conducted a survey to identify key issues and the best way to manage these:
Most Common Types of Complaints
Through surveys and conversations we’ve conducted, we have identified the following problems:
| Issue | % of respondents mentioning this problem |
|---|---|
| Poor replies | 85% |
| Ad-hoc maintenance issues are not fixed | 75% |
| Rude and Unhelpful Staff | 60% |
In general, communication is one of the 3 major complaints we’ve found in this area. With customers that have been with the same managers for a long time, this actually becomes the biggest issue as many will be attentive to begin with but then, stop performing.
Additionally, even if the managers are good at doing the required work, sometimes they are not good at talking to the customers.
How to deal with these problems?
If you are currently experiencing these issues, we suggest the following work-around:
Short Term
It’s good to write things down. You can use a simple issue tracker to ensure that all the complaints are logged and nothing gets missed. Having a tracker won’t force your manager to respond quicker, but it should help keep everything organised.
Send us an email to get a free copy of JuxtaBlock’s complaint tracker!
Long Term
If things are already in bad shape, you can always resort to finding new management. When looking for a new manager, it is very important to gauge the responsiveness and the turn-around time when dealing with complaints. Another key is to make sure that the manager is well rated in this area.
Finally
Hiccups in communication are not a new thing. In the end, the most important job for block managers is to take residents’ complaints and get things fixed. That’s why it is very important to find the right managing agent that will help you run your property.
Are you having the same problem or complaint? Get a free advice from our team
