5 Reasons Your Community Needs a Resident Portal
Customer service is vital to your community or management company’s operations. It builds trust with residents and helps to enhance many operational efficiencies. If your management team encounters issues such as handling maintenance requests, payment processing, and resident communication, then a web portal for residents is a very helpful option to look into. In this post, we’ll share 5 ways how a web portal for residents can provide value to your organization and communities.
Improve Community Engagement & Communication
Residents will be more informed of community policies and events. Management can share community bylaws, help documents to prepare for inclement weather, and association financials if required by the state. Additionally, they can inform residents of upcoming social gatherings or board meetings. Management can also send residents important messages. If the web portal selected has strong communication capabilities, residents should be able to view every message they receive. This helps to improve accountability and transparency on the staff/manager’s end. Moreover, residents will be happier knowing that they are informed of community ongoings and can take an active role.
Streamline Maintenance
If residents are given the ability to submit maintenance requests, management can better streamline their processes throughout the organization. There are many capabilities that a good work order system provides. Residents can submit service requests, review the status of their open work orders, retrieve open or completed work orders, and be notified of updates every step of the way. On the management side, this helps to significantly reduce incoming calls or emails about service requests. It’ll also help staff determine which requests sent in are actual maintenance issues requiring vendor services and which are quick fixes they can do.
Manage Payments and Delinquencies
For rentals and community associations, receiving payment on time is essential for operations as they oftentimes have strict budgets. Some portals may offer the ability for residents to pay rent or assessments online with multiple payment options. If a payment is late, managers can send email notices or calls to residents reminding them. Additionally, a good web portal service should provide residents with their balance and ledgers.
Encourage residents to self-manage their own information
Some portals will allow residents to manage and maintain their own information such as contact information, co-residents/emergency contacts, alternate/billing addresses, pets, vehicle, and insurance information. By giving residents access to a web portal, they can update their own information as it changes which will save an enormous amount of time for management. This allows management to send their messages more confidently and free-up resources to concentrate on larger projects.
Be in compliance
It’s important to consult your community bylaws and state laws on technology requirements for the community. In Florida, it’s the law and it’s possible that in the future, other states will follow suit! By July 1, 2018, all condominium associations that manage more than 150 units will be required to implement a web portal or website with password-protected access to residents. In the website or web portal, management must provide residents with several types of financial and operational information.
You may want to read: 5 Ways to Build Transparency as Condo Laws Tighten Financial Disclosure Requirement
Conclusion
Residents want to know that management will be there for them when they have questions or concerns. A web portal is a great way for residents to be more informed and engaged. It’s also a great way for management to save time and money. Less time will be spent to update residents’ contact information, process checks, field phone calls, and envelope each letter. Instead, you’ll be leveraging modern technology to improve even the littlest of activities that all add up to the big picture: efficient operations and excellent customer service to residents.
Free Ebook Download: A Guide to Pilera’s Resident Portal
About Pilera
Pilera Software is a portfolio management software for HOA’s, condominium associations, co-ops, and multi-family rentals. Our resident portal can help management to streamline operations and increase resident satisfaction with communications, online payment, maintenance request, event calendars, marketplace, and more. Dina Tortora, one of our clients and the manager of Windsor Terrace stated, “The residents say “It is like having a management office on property!”” Can we help you just like these success stories? Contact us for more information or if you’d like to schedule a demo to see these features live in action.
