Property Managers, Coordinators, and Engineers: It’s no secret that your time is always in demand, and your tenants expect quick, well-informed responses on a variety of questions and concerns. But sometimes those responses hinge on a third party – more specifically, your property management software provider. Superior partners know your hectic schedule and work to make your job easier, and as a result, should be equipped to offer the same speedy service to you whenever you have a question about the platform.

While the onus is primarily on the provider, it also helps to start the customer service conversation armed with the right tools. Here are three tips to increase the effectiveness of your next customer service interaction – which may even prove useful in other situations (like improving your chance for success when interacting with any vendor service team, or the next time you call your local cable guy).

1.       Speak a Common Language

When calling or emailing for customer service, it’s reasonable to expect that the support person may only understand your question within the context of his own system. For example, if your engineering team commonly refers to PMs and Work Orders interchangeably, it’s important to remember the support person doesn’t necessarily know that, so his assumptions are going to be based on how you frame your question. As much as possible, refer to modules, system functions, and common features exactly as they’re labeled in the system. This will drive smooth, straightforward communication. When you’re able to explain your question or problem clearly using shared language, the support person will almost always know exactly where to look for your solution.

2.       Provide Specific Details and Visuals

“My engineer did not receive his work order notification email, can you help?” This is one of the most common questions encountered by our support team. And while we’re almost always able to solve the problem through a few emails or a phone call, it’s always a better experience if more details are provided right from the start. Always try to provide a “Who, What, When” – full names and email addresses, work order numbers, date/time of the occurrence, etc. When we receive a question with limited details, additional research and back-and-forth conversations are often required, delaying resolution of the issue. These specific details help our support team identify a solution for you on the first contact, saving you valuable time.

3.       Use Self-Help Resources to Research

Studies show that many people prefer to self-help when challenged with a software-related question. Some of the BEST solutions a support team can provide aren’t necessarily delivered by email or over the phone. These solutions can be found in an up-to-date online support knowledge-base. A well-maintained support center provides countless self-help resources such as training videos, FAQs, walk-throughs, and user guides. Before reaching out (Although a good software provider would never discourage this – Building Engines loves engaging with our customers!), browse the online support center to see if your question has already been answered. Unless it’s a very specific question or problem that’s unique to your property, there’s a good chance that you’ll find exactly what you’re looking for and be able to quickly move on to more important demands.

For example, Building Engines recently launched an improved online Support Center which provides a centralized, easily accessible reference source for all system features. Clients will find improved property management user guides and training videos, as well as extensive self-help FAQs. Additionally, we even measure our clients’ level of satisfaction with our service so we can constantly be improving upon ourselves.

Here at Building Engines, our support team is always readily available and glad to assist. We hope our clients always find our system intuitive and easy to navigate, but we know questions can always come up. For those times when the online support knowledge-base doesn’t provide an immediate answer, using the tips presented here will ensure faster support service and more helpful responses.