Say Whatt?!!

The other day, I overheard an apartment manager say, “Have you read your lease?” in answer to what, apparently, was a ridiculous request, and I thought, “This is not going to end well for the resident.  Manager wins.”

Then I thought of some of the other impulsive, condescending and “shut-em down” statements routinely used to keep residents in line and get them to go away.

“Your lease clearly states…”

“It’s not our policy.”

And my favorite…

“If I did it for you, I would have to do it for everyone, or I would be violating Fair Housing.” (Admit it, you joined me in reciting that one as you read it, didn’t you?)

What?  Violating Fair Housing?  Really?

I cannot think of one way any of these statements could leave a positive impact or increase resident value perception.  Please, if anyone does, do not hesitate to share. 

But wait, there’s more.

“I’m sorry but,”  (you know something bad is coming the minute they say, “but”).

“If it were up to me, I would do it, but I could lose my job.”

And a maintenance favorite…

“Yeah, they’re all like that, and I told them we needed to replace them but it wasn’t in the budget.”

When your words and tone can be translated to, “You should know better,” or “I’m really not sorry, I’m just saying that to soften what I am about to tell you” or “This place sucks and it isn’t run well because the company is too cheap to fix things”, or “I am afraid to make a decision, so I am going to hide behind the Fair Housing poster now”, understand it will likely not end positively. 

Why do we do say these things?  I have a couple of theories.

1.     It’s easy, and humans are inherently lazy.  It takes effort to really listen and try to understand another’s perspective. Easier to prove them wrong and send them away.

2.     We don’t know any better.  You heard your manager say it, so you say it too.

3.     We don’t know what else to say, because we believe the only way to end the discussion is to have won.

4.     Solving problems is hard and we are afraid we might indeed violate Fair Housing if we make an allowance.

5.     Jaded Pessimism.  Give ‘em an inch and they’ll take a mile.

6.     Black or white is the only way.  There is no gray, or meeting halfway.

At this point you may be thinking, “Lori, I get the answers aren’t the best, so give me a better line.”

Here’s the problem.  There is no “pat” answer, no wonderful line that will shut people down and leave them with a smile on their face.

But there are things you can do.

Let’s say you have a resident who thinks pet fees are unfair and he shouldn’t have to pay them.

1. See their perspective and agree, at least partially.

"I can see why this doesn't seem right to you.  You are a responsible dog owner."

2. Offer an alternative perspective. (This is where the homework comes in).

Ask yourself, why?  Why do you have pet fees in the first place?  Well, we know that pets leave waste, some damage apartments, they leave dander which could affect other potential residents and they cause additional challenges to residents in the form of barking, etc .  We also know some people simply don't like pets and don't want anything to do with them.

Remember, we do not place this answer to the resident in this context, nor do we give the standard spiel that doesn't really answer the objection.

3. Re-context.  Keep it truthful and sincere.  This is a dialogue and you are not in-it-to-win-it. This is about having a conversation with the individual.

So, it might go something like this:

"I can see why this doesn't seem right to you.  You are a responsible dog owner."

"Please understand, we choose to be pet friendly community even though many owners are not as responsible.  Pets do cause wear and tear in the form of waste, dander, damage and, sometimes, as a nuisance to other neighbors who don't have pets.  For this reason, we charge pet owners a pet fee, as it simply wouldn't be right or fair to pass on those costs to residents who choose not to have them."

Then they will likely say, "My pet never bothers anyone."

To which you might say, "Likely not, but have you thought about something as simple as your dog barking in the morning to wake you?  I'm not saying yours does, but lots of dogs do.  If the dog wakes you by barking, it might very well wake the guy above you every single day.  That's something they tolerate, and they may choose not to stay at the end of their lease term if it's bad enough. Of course, that is a hypothetical situation, but pets do impact the overall community, and while we are proud to say we are pet friendly, we have to ensure those that don't like pets never have to step in waste, or have allergies act up from an apartment that had pets in it.  All of that comes at a cost.   That's why we charge a pet fee."

To which he may say, "Well I still don't think it’s fair.  My pet never does anything wrong."

"Understandable. And you do have choices.  I will tell you that our pet fees are on the low end of the spectrum in comparison to our competitors, and we work hard to ensure we stay competitive in the market.  It's hard, because we love our pets, but they sure can be a bit costly.  I hope I have provided you a better understanding as to why we charge the fee.  If you would like, you are more than welcome to pay your pet fees for the year all at once, then you don't have to hassle with it for the rest of the year.  Is this something you would like to consider?"

Last, if you believe your pet fees are completely outrageous…find another way.  Perhaps you can raise rent or bundle it.  Maybe after a certain length of residency with no issues, the pet fee is reduced. Do a competitive analysis.  Don't just assume because it’s been the policy, it has to forever be the policy.  Find a way to change it up and make it more consumer-friendly.

Look to find solutions and know there is no standard answer  - it’s all about preparation, knowing your market, understanding why, and then delivering that message sincerely and truthfully.  Get with your team this week and practice this exercise with a request or objection you find yourself giving a “half baked” answer to.  Think about the words you say, and what they convey.  Look to find a better way. 

Every word counts.

Lori