Looking for a way to decrease the manual touchpoints in the maintenance process, Stevens Realty found Property Meld. Since Stevens Realty works with so many third-party vendors, it was important that they were on board and found the new software to benefit the efficiency of their job.
During onboarding, Stevens Realty spent time training their vendors, introducing them to the platform and clearly defining the new process. Vendors were required to sign an expectation policy acknowledging their willingness to adopt Property Meld as their new process. It was imperative for Stevens Realty to showcase that Property Meld was not only going to help the management team but would also make the vendor’s job easier. By showing vendors the positive impact Property Meld would have on their job, it was easier to get them onboard.
In addition to onboarding their current vendors, Stevens Realty uses Property Meld in their recruiting process. When screening potential vendors, they ensure they are tech-savvy and willing to learn new technologies.
Some initial pushback Stevens Realty received from vendors was that they avoid being on their phones while on the job, including checking their inbox every day. .
“We let them know this is the only tool we need to use to document everything. It took a few months, but now they are all savvy in navigating Property Meld. There was a culture shock when we started using this. Handymen and vendors aren’t tech savvy, but along the way, whenever they have questions, I refer them to support or the Help Center and they can get through it quickly” – Rodelyn Pepana, Resident and Owner Advocate.
By implementing policy changes, Stevens Realty has been able to get work orders (we like to call them Melds!) accepted and repairs scheduled faster. In addition, Stevens Realty instilled a policy that if a vendor hasn’t responded to a work order, it is reassigned to a new vendor after two hours. This makes vendors more apt to adopt the process, so they aren’t losing jobs. Vendors receive an automated message after an hour. Essentially, warning them if they don’t accept the Meld, another vendor may get the job.
Accepting the work order and communicating directly with the resident is an excellent benefit for vendors. It saves them time from having to reach out to a resident. Once they accept a work order, they have all the details they need to complete the job. In addition, if residents have any disputes about a work order, the information is saved in Property Meld, and property managers can quickly resolve conflicts.
Stevens Realty has seen an increase in residents’ five-star reviews. In addition, if they continue to see negative reviews about a particular vendor, they can determine if there needs to be a change.
“A five-star rating is good, but negative reviews also help us to know what went wrong or where the disconnect was. Was it on the management side of things, or was it a problem with a vendor? If a particular vendor is problematic and receives a lot of negative feedback, we can let them go if they aren’t complying with our company policy.” – Rodelyn Pepana, Resident and Owner Advocate
