Communciation Tools in Pilera to Guide Your Efforts This Winter

*This blog post was updated in January 2024, to provide new information on how Pilera’s communication tool can help communities formulate their emergency communication plans. 

As we continue to weather the winter season, it is important to stay in touch with your residents.  Letting residents know about mandatory car removals, blocked areas or streets, or emergency evacuations is critical to maintaining the safety of the neighborhood during inclimate weather.  Explore 8 important communication tools you can leverage in Pilera to communicate with residents during the winter season confidently.

1) Automate phone, text, and email blasts to your community

Communicating with residents based on their preferences significantly increases the likelihood of reaching them effectively. Pilera offers managers the flexibility to reach residents according to their chosen communication method, whether it’s via text, email, or phone calls. 

Moreover, Pilera enables managers to streamline their communication processes by converting frequently sent messages into templates for future use. This time-saving feature improves efficiency and consistency in communication, allowing managers to disseminate important information quickly.

2) Emergency blasts via Reverse 911

There are times when you need to alert residents of a mandatory evacuation or other incidents that occur. Managers can utilize the Reverse 911 feature to make emergency calls. This feature will override the resident’s preference and send text messages, phone calls, and emails.

3) Dynamic unit and location distribution groups

During a winter emergency, you can effectively communicate with residents using dynamic distribution groups. This is especially important for residents in different locations who may require specific messages based on their location, such as those living near a lake who are more susceptible to flooding. With Pilera’s distribution groups feature, you can create tailored messages for specific areas. Pilera’s dynamic distribution group is user and location-based, enabling you to customize messages for streets, buildings, floors, units, and individual residents. The self-cleaning nature of the distribution groups ensures that the recipient lists are always up to date, even as people move in and out of the community, guaranteeing accurate message delivery.

4) Invalid emails and text message reports

Ensuring that resident data is correct is vital when communicating important information to them.  When sending mass messages, it’s difficult to keep track of resident contact changes manually. Pilera provides automated monthly reports on invalid email addresses and text numbers.  You can then reach out to residents through alternative means to confirm the correct contact information. Residents can also manage their contact information through the resident portal.

5) Allow residents to manage contact information

Allowing residents to manage contact information gives them control over how they want to hear from management and who in their household can receive messages. In the portal, residents can choose their contact preferences and language preferences, which is crucial during severe weather and emergencies. They can opt to receive messages via phone calls, text messages, and/or emails. Pilera offers email and text translation to 103 languages and can make phone calls in Spanish. Furthermore, residents can manage occupant information for their residence. This allows other occupants or tenants to update their contact preferences and receive community communications

6) Send email communication to your entire portfolio at once

Pilera provides the ability for managers to send email announcements to select communities or to their entire portfolio at once.  You can segment emails by the type of user, so managers can even send messages to just their board members or residents across all their communities.  This is especially helpful when managers need to communicate winter company policies or communication plans to all board members.  Furthermore, managers are able to keep their message consistent across all communities while reaching board members or residents quickly.

7) Measure the effectiveness of your communication with the Message Center

It is important to know when your message has been successfully delivered. In Pilera’s message center, you can also track whether a phone call was answered or directed to voicemail, if a text message was received, or if an email was replied to, opened, clicked, or bounced.

8) Find email responses quickly via Message Inbox

When you send an email announcement through Pilera, residents can reply with any questions or concerns. These responses are captured within Pilera and can be easily accessed and searched through the Message Inbox. The Message Inbox has powerful filtering capabilities, allowing you to find resident responses in seconds rather than hours, as with traditional email systems.

Conclusion

In conclusion, as we navigate through the winter season, staying connected with residents is vital to ensuring their safety and well-being. By leveraging the 8 communication tools in Pilera, managers can confidently communicate important information during inclement weather. From automated phone, text, and email blasts to dynamic unit and location distribution groups, Pilera provides the means to tailor messages for specific areas and ensure accurate delivery. Additionally, features such as Reverse 911 for emergency blasts, invalid emails and text message reports, and resident-managed contact information ensure you can communicate rapidly and accurately. The ability to measure communication effectiveness and quickly find email responses via the Message Center and Message Inbox help you make improvements to your winter communication strategies. With these tools, managers can proactively address winter-related concerns and maintain a strong connection with residents, ultimately fostering a safe and informed community.

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About Pilera

Pilera Software is the premier community and property management suite that has helped thousands of community managers and back-office personnel enhance communications, improve customer service, and manage compliance and operations. May we help your community achieve these success stories? Book a demo to see how Pilera’s community management suite can help your company.