Partner and senior manager Amy Hoffard didn’t hesitate. Instead, she rolled up her sleeves and got her hands dirty when a resident needed her help.
Last week, Shirley, a newer resident at Arbors of Anderson in Cincinnati, came into the leasing office looking visibly distressed. While tossing out the trash, she accidentally dropped all of her keys: apartment key, car key and access card into the garbage compactor. Amy was the only one in the office when Shirley arrived, but without hesitation, she jumped in—literally.
Amy’s instinct wasn’t to hesitate, it was to help. This is another example of how our property managers put customer service first. Without missing a beat, Amy took ownership of the situation and focused on finding a solution.
“I could tell she was really frantic. She was locked out of her apartment and car, and had to be at her sister’s house soon to dog-sit.” Amy said. “I just knew I had to do whatever I could to help her. It wasn’t even a question, I just went straight into problem-solving mode.”
The two quickly returned to the trash compactor, where Amy showed Shirley how to turn off the machine. After an initial search, the keys were nowhere in sight. But Amy wasn’t ready to give up. Grabbing a step stool, she climbed into the dumpster herself, determined to find Shirley’s keys.
For Amy, going the extra mile was just her natural response.
“I’m going to do what I need to do to make sure residents feel taken care of,” Amy explained. “If they know they can count on us, it makes all the difference.”
Despite her efforts, Amy came out empty-handed. Still, she refused to leave Shirley stranded. Thinking on her feet, Amy made a spare set of Shirley’s apartment keys and provided her with a replacement access card. After, she drove Shirley back to her apartment where her extra car key was waiting.
Shirley was incredibly grateful, and took the time to email The Connor Group’s customer service inbox and share the story.
Shirley walked out of the leasing office not just with new keys, but with a sense of trust in the Arbors team. For Amy, that’s what success looks like.
“Whether it’s a person here for a tour, a current resident or a previous resident, it’s our job to provide them with the best customer service possible,” said Amy. “It’s about showing people that they’re valued. You never know how one small action could lead to something bigger—a review, referral or a renewal.”
While Shirley vowed to keep her keys far away from the trash compactor in the future, she knew that if life threw her another curveball, Amy and her team would be there to help.
How does your team go above and beyond for residents? Leave a comment or share your story by clicking the “Submit an Idea” button here in the app for a chance to be featured on the Loop!