When it comes to succeeding in business, understanding customer behaviour is key. Arguably, nobody is more clued in about customer behaviour than search engine success story, Google, who centralise their business development around an idea called ‘the zero moment of truth’ – the moment when the consumer researches a product prior to purchase, often by looking at the reviews and opinions of customers.
With more and more information out there, the ZMOT is getting increasingly shorter, as consumers making split-second ‘micro moment’ decisions based on their research findings. And now, with the world increasingly digitalised and more and more products and services being searched for online, the ZMOT is something professionals in every industry need to think about - including block managers.
The importance of reviews
Once upon a time reviews almost always referred to items of entertainment – books, food or films – but in recent years, consumer behaviour has changed and we review almost everything in our lives, including service experiences like property management. This means that building up a body of good reviews is now just as vital for property managers as it is for other professions. Having a healthy stock of positive reviews in prominent places (on and offline) will help promote your services as a block manager to RTM Directors or new clients looking for information.
The flipside of this new focus on service reviews is that consumers will also now have the option to post negative reviews about your property management and sadly our brains are hard-wired to catalogue and remember negative comments much more easily than positive ones. One negative review could undo all the positive reviews. This is why it’s so important to keep seeking out and providing the kind of service levels that generate good reviews.
What property managers can do
So how can property managers address this and stop negative reviews underscoring their positive ones? It’s actually simpler than it seems. Most bad reviews are prompted by poor service, usually slow reactions to repairs and maintenance issues.
You can easily address this by employing Fixflo's self-service technology for reactive repairs reporting. Issues residents report using the platform can be easily managed, triaged and dealt with all the way through to booking contractors and tracking job progress.
Property managers can also use Fixflo to proactively communicate with residents about planned maintenance issues and works to inform them what they may need to do and how they will be affected, so there are no surprises. Providing them with this peace of mind where they care about your service the most is the best way to turn what could potentially be a negative experience into a positive one and ensure that your review ratings follow suit.
Would you like to boost your online marketing potential and attract more clients? The on-demand masterclass How to Beat the Competition Online we ran with digital marketing specialists Roar demonstrates how block managers can use PPC advertising to drive traffic, increase leads and stand out online.
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