If you've been in the student housing business for any length of time, you know that move-in season is equivalent to running a marathon while juggling flaming torches. The endless barrage of questions, work orders, and general chaos can leave you wondering if you're in a property management business or an offshoot of Cirque du Soleil.
We've all thought about it: "There's no way we're bringing in a new vendor ahead of move-in season. We'll take it slow, ease them in afterward." And every year, after the move-in dust has settled, we're left ruing missed opportunities to use technology to tame the chaos.
Further compounding the issue, move-in frustrations can set the tone for renewals, and bad reviews can start piling up faster than maintenance requests.
Contrary to popular belief, initiating a relationship with vendors before the storm hits allows for a smoother integration and better performance when you need them most. And if before is not an option, aim for during rather than after.
Choosing the right vendor is crucial, of course. You want partners that seamlessly plug into your systems, not ones that demand extensive training. The ideal vendor works like an invisible hand, effortlessly taking tasks off your team's plate.
Getting these partners set up in the quieter summer months not only eases move-in pains but also helps transition the period into just another time of the year, not a stress-filled obstacle course. Less frustration means happier employees and more satisfied residents.
So, when you're mulling over a potential vendor, consider kicking off the partnership before or during move-in season. The worst that can happen? Status quo remains. But the potential upside is a dramatically more manageable move-in season.
Curious to hear how ResiDesk aided a 30,000-bed community during move-in? How about us tackling 71% of new resident questions, boosting satisfaction by 61%, autonomously managing 400 work orders, spurring 131 new 5-star reviews per month, and all without the site team needing to log in even once? If that sounds like a better move-in season to you, drop us a line for a demo and a free trial. Embrace the madness, we say!
