After owning a home for 17 years, Chicago natives Lourdes and Ray Perez found themselves at Wheaton 121, searching for an apartment. Admittedly, they were nervous about making the move from “homeowner” to “renter.”
“We had just sold our house, but we didn’t have anywhere to go,” Lourdes said. “We saw a lot of apartment complexes, but when we walked into Wheaton, we knew this place was going to be the one.”
While the luxury apartment community’s curb appeal drew the couple in to tour, our people ultimately made the difference. Their warm, friendly customer service was felt the moment Lourdes and Ray walked in.
“I had that gut feeling as soon as I walked in,” Lourdes said. “They were absolutely nice. They’re caring. They make this place alive.”
WATCH: Wheaton 121 residents share customer service experience
From the move-in experience to fixing work orders right the first time, our associates at Wheaton, under the leadership of senior manager Jenein Sous deliver this elite customer service across the board. It’s a key reason they earned a 3.9 on the most recent customer survey, ranking third across the entire company.
“I personally schedule time every day for customer service. It’s dedicated time where I can meet with our residents, hear their concerns, and get to know them,” Jenein said. “They love it here because we truly do care. I’ve made it a point to learn people’s first names and say hello to them out on the property. I struggled with it at Stonebridge, and I’ve made it a focus of mine.”
Jenein, manager in training Damita Thomas and sales associate Alli Smith teamed up in March, providing residents the opportunity to get to know them even better, hosting a “Wine Wednesday” event. Together, they rallied support from local Wheaton businesses for door prizes, making the event fun while building relationships between residents and the team.
Both Lourdes and Ray raved about the resident events, saying after just eight months at Wheaton, they feel at home.
“They’ll ask you, ‘How’s everything? Are you okay?’ And that’s what people need. They keep the community going with these events. And they’re just so likeable. It’s not every day you can say that about people,” Lourdes said.
Lead tech Freddy Martinez along with turn techs Moises Crespo, Francisco Martinez, and grounds associate George Martinez, have taken ownership of Wheaton’s physical facilities. Jenein credits their 8.5 turns and attention to detail for smooth move-in experiences.
“They make it a point to vacuum the halls three times per week. And when they notice something is not to standard, they immediately take care of it,” Jenein said. “Our techs are doing a phenomenal job.
“Our 24-hour check-in after move-ins have made a huge difference, elevating our customer service and taking us to the next level. The processes we put in place in January with our new customer service training have been instrumental. Our relentlessness is paying off.”
The team earned a 4.0 on the survey question “my apartment was satisfactory at move-in” and an impressive 4.1 for managers and sales associates being responsive to requests.
It’s keeping residents like Lourdes and Ray happy and wanting to renew their leases year after year.
“Those things are very important,” Lourdes said. “We’re going to stick around.”