Trust is at the heart of any successful relationship: once trust is lost, it’s not easily regained. Unfortunately, research suggests that disengagement and distrust are growing within the population: a survey conducted on people’s views of the Australian finance sector, for example, showed that nearly half of customers don’t trust their current financial provider! In addition, the vast majority of people surveyed in a separate study were disengaged from their work. When it comes to successful facility management, the need to establish trust in a potentially distrustful client group is crucial. Here we take a look at three ways to make residential communication more meaningful and real, helping to build trust in your client group.
Keep vocabulary clear, direct and simple
The inappropriate use of technical jargon, incomprehensible phrasing and convoluted “manager speak” are guaranteed to send levels of trust plummeting. Straight-forward, accountable language is always the way to go. For example, if you are a caretaker of a facility and are charged with maintaining the residential website or sending out information generated by the facility management system, keeping communication easy to understand is vital. It’s also important to be accountable. If there has been a problem with building management, acknowledging it, apologising for it and finding a satisfactory way forward is going to be the approach most likely to engender trust.
Communicate regularly and consistently
One of the advantages of using building management software is that it facilitates channels of communication between you and the tenants. Facility management software often generates prompts to clients, letting them know that their request or comment has been received. Follow up communication from the building management system lets tenants know what’s being done about repairs, upgrades of similar maintenance matters. Ideal for use by STRATA managers and similar professionals, the right residential management system can go a long way towards putting the foundations for good communication in place.
Communicate in ways your clients can relate
A developer management system has the added advantage of facilitating communication through text and email. Contemporary tenants simply don’t have time to log in to view messages or open an envelope which lands on the mat. The right developer management software will automatically update tenants on issues which are of importance to them in a way that’s accessible and user-friendly. In general, research shows that people are less suspicious of a text than they are of a brown envelope! Electronic communication is often viewed as more open and accountable, helping to boost that all-important level of trust.
Although the best communication in the world won’t conceal poor performance, it can go a long way towards establishing a more trusting, positive relationship between the parties involved.
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