It’s okay to restate the issue at hand (ie: Miss Smith, I understand you had water unexpectedly leak through your bathroom ceiling on Thursday morning and you are still waiting on maintenance to give you an indication of the cause), showing that you listened, and conclude by saying, “Have I missed anything?” or “Is that correct?” But remember this step only works once you’ve successfully treated the emotion first.
MAKE AMENDS A genuine apology is always needed. I repeat, a genuine apology is always needed. It may not be something you always feel is necessary, especially if you don’t think it was the fault of the association but more of an unfortunate happenstance. But remember it may not be your fault, but it is always your problem if one of your residents is upset. In these situations, put yourself in the other person’s shoes and how would you want to be treated? It also can’t hurt to express some additional empathy here as well. One of my favorite lines is, “I’m really sorry we disappointed you”.
TAKE ACTION It is imperative you take ownership and do everything in your power to find a solution that will appease the resident, ideally making them forget why they were mad in the first place. We frequently cannot say “yes” to their demand, however rather than saying “no” we should provide an alternative. Share the bad news first and then pose one or two suitable alternatives, ultimately asking the resident which they prefer. An example of this would be, “Although we can’t allow you to park your car in the handicap spot to load your car, we can assist you with a bell cart. How does that sound?” Everyone loves a choice and it ultimately puts the resident in control of the outcome as well. Providing first person resolution is also critical. This doesn’t mean you always will have the answer, but it does mean that you will do everything in your power to get one and close the loop so the resident isn’t left communicating with a variety of different people and/or departments. How would you feel if you were told to hang up and call a different number?
FOLLOW-UP You’ve done an excellent job to earn the trust of your residents and now you need to keep it. Sometimes complex solutions may require additional time and staying in communication with the resident every step of the way is essential, even when you don’t have all the answers yet. It is also what you would want if the roles were reversed. In addition, proactively seek out the resident who was upset the previous hour, day or week and check in to see how things are going. This small gesture helps to build
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rapport and makes them continue to feel heard.
Defusing conflict in your community is likely one of the hardest tasks that you will face as a community manager, but with these 6 steps serving as your guide, we can all do hard things. Strive to calmly make your residents forget why they were upset in the first place. Good luck!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR Jamie Cooperstein is CEO of J. Cooperstein Hospitality Consulting, LLC. Jamie is a CAI Educated Business Parnter and serves as a member of CAI’s Communications & Content Committee and can be contacted via email at:
Jamie@jcoopconsulting.com.
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