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Insights & Strategies

Customer experience management

Find out how your property management business can create differentiated experiences and exceed resident expectations.

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What renters expect from property management companies

Over the last few years, consumer expectations have dramatically shifted. Renters now expect on-demand, digital experiences, but there’s a gap in what property management businesses are delivering, opening the door for more frequent resident turnover.

Success

Only 24% of renters say that they are likely to recommend their property management company.*

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Unsatisfied renters are almost 2x more likely to be planning a move to a different rental.**

Implementation

Recommendations from friends and family are the third most important source for finding a new rental.**

*Source:  2022 AppFolio Resident Motivations Report **Source: 2023 AppFolio Resident Preferences Report

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What customer experience is and why it matters


Customer experience includes all aspects of the customer's (in this case, your renter’s) journey, from their first touchpoint to their ongoing interactions with your business. When renters feel well cared for and have a seamless experience, they are more likely to choose your company, remain loyal, and promote it to others.
castillo

“It’s all about satisfying the people that live at our properties and the employees that interact with them and building these personal relationships. That is what drives our business.”

JC Castillo
President & CEO, Velo Residential
Read the Story

Why you should prioritize customer
experience

conversions

Drives higher conversions

A frictionless leasing experience makes it easier for renters to view and apply for units, helping you fill vacancies faster.


Accelerates routine tasks

Provides a competitive advantage

When you effectively market your services and offer self-service options, you’ll make a better first impression and build lasting relationships with your renters.

renewals

Increases renewals


Residents who are satisfied with the service your team provides will be more likely to renew their lease, recommend your business, and stay for the long term.

Keys to enhancing your resident experience

Download this free guide to see how you can implement proven customer service strategies to boost resident satisfaction.

By submitting this form, I acknowledge I have reviewed AppFolio's Privacy Notice.

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Customer experience: How is it measured?

Before you begin to improve your resident experience, it’s important to know where you currently stand when it comes
to customer satisfaction. Here are a few ways you can measure it:

Referrals

How many of your residents are referring you? Take a detailed look at your guest cards to see how many were referred to your community by friends, family, or co-workers, and calculate on average how many of those prospects turn into residents.

Renewal percentage

Check your annual renewal rate and compare it to previous years. It should be at least 45-55%. Reporting technology that’s built into your property management software can simplify this process and make it easier to analyze this data.

Satisfaction with service

To understand your residents’ satisfaction, send out a Net Promoter® Score survey. Once all feedback is received, your NPS will be a number from -100 to +100 — the higher the NPS, the better. You can also leverage integrations that allow you to collect, analyze, and respond to resident feedback.

Want to offer a better resident experience? Follow these best practices

Make life more convenient

Convenience is crucial when it comes to satisfaction. This is why it’s important to implement technology that makes life easier for your renters. Look for a comprehensive system that is user friendly and enables them to complete tasks on demand, such as online applications, rent payments, maintenance requests, and lease renewals.

Communicate more effectively

Improving communication with your residents means more than just increasing contact frequency. It’s about expanding your communication in ways residents want and need. Implement modern communication methods that align with resident preferences and allow your team to respond quickly, such as email, text messaging, and online resident portal access.

Prioritize flexibility

When renters have multiple options rather than a single way of doing things, they will be more satisfied, and you’ll be able to tailor the experience to their needs. Consider offering things like flexible lease terms and rent payments, security deposit alternatives, and self-guided showings to boost satisfaction.

Provide a human touch

Resident satisfaction for your property management business ultimately boils down to empathy. However, this can be hard to provide when your team is bogged down by manual tasks. Look for ways to automate tedious and repetitive processes using AI so your team can focus on providing personalized service to your residents.

Exceed your residents’ expectations with AppFolio Property Manager

Provide exceptional experiences and deliver standout service to renters all in one powerful platform.

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“We are living in the 21st century, and renters want to do everything online. With the AppFolio Online Portal, our residents can log in to make rent payments, view their lease, or read any other documents — it’s huge for them.”

mark_browning_jr
Mark Browning Jr.
Co-Founder, Stone & Browning Property Management
Read the Full Story
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Frequently asked questions

What is customer experience?

Customer experience refers to the overall experience a customer has when interacting with a product, service, or brand. It includes all aspects of the customer's journey, from a customer's first contact to their ongoing interactions and relationships with your property management company. The goal of customer experience is to create a positive, memorable, and consistent experience that helps customers feel connected to your business.

How do you improve customer experience?

Improving customer experience in property management can be done by implementing customer feedback systems, providing efficient and effective customer service, and offering additional value-added services. Additionally, investing in technology such as online portals and mobile apps can help increase customer satisfaction and improve customer experience.

What is customer experience management?

Customer experience management is the practice of creating better customer experiences through the use of technology, analytics, and other tools. It focuses on understanding customer needs, preferences, and behavior and using that understanding to create personalized experiences that are tailored to those customers. It also involves providing customer service, support, and feedback to ensure that customers have a positive experience.

How do you measure customer experience?

Customer experience in property management can be measured by using customer satisfaction surveys, resident feedback, and customer service metrics. Additionally, customer experience can be measured through analytics such as website behavior, renter churn, and renewal rate.

Why is customer experience important?

Customer experience is important because it can determine how a renter perceives their interactions with your business. It can also influence customer loyalty and can help you attract more prospects. Customer experience can also help you create a competitive advantage and increase revenue.

How do you enhance customer experience?

There are several strategies to enhance customer experience in property management. Some of these strategies include providing timely and accurate service, offering personalized experiences, using feedback from renters to inform decisions, offering online tools for convenience and access, and creating an environment that promotes customer loyalty.

What is customer service?

Customer service is a service provided by businesses to their customers that seeks to create a positive customer experience. It typically involves providing assistance with service-related inquiries, troubleshooting, and offering advice and solutions. Customer service can also involve other activities, such as providing technical support and addressing complaints.

How can AI improve the customer experience?

AI can improve customer experience by providing automated customer support, personalized service recommendations, faster responses to renter inquiries, and improved customer segmentation. AI can also be used to identify customer needs and offer tailored solutions that lead to better customer satisfaction. Additionally, AI can be used to analyze customer data and provide insights into customer behaviors and preferences, helping property management companies better understand their renters and provide them with better experiences.

How is digital transformation driving customer experience?

Digital transformation is driving customer experience forward by enabling property management companies to provide more personalized, convenient, and efficient services. By leveraging data, AI, and automation, companies can provide residents with an experience that is tailored to their individual needs, saving them time and making their experience more enjoyable. Additionally, digital transformation is helping to reduce operational costs and increase customer satisfaction by streamlining processes and providing more data-driven insights.

How has technology impacted the customer service experience?

Technology has had a significant impact on the customer service experience in property management. It has allowed for more efficient customer service and communication, as well as more accurate data tracking and reporting. This has enabled property managers to better understand the needs of their renters and respond in a more timely and effective manner. Additionally, technology has made it easier for renters to access information, submit maintenance requests, and receive updates from their property management company.

What is the difference between customer service and customer experience?

Customer service is about meeting the needs of customers, while customer experience is about creating a positive, lasting impression on customers. Customer service focuses on the immediate interactions between customers and businesses, while customer experience is all about the entire journey of a customer with a business. Customer service focuses on the resolution of customer issues, while customer experience focuses on creating an enjoyable and memorable experience for customers.

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