Scheduling and coordinating convenient vendor appointment times with anyone is a challenge in any industry. But as a rental property owner, you recognize the unique burden of managing schedules and trying to synch up the calendars of your tenants and vendor contractors. Today, we’ll highlight four tips to help streamline your method for scheduling and to improve the efficiency of your process overall. Saving time and alleviating the headaches that come with vendor scheduling might be the New Year’s resolution, you need to commit to this year.
The 40 Hour Work Week Dilemma
One of the biggest challenges to scheduling maintenance or vendor visits with your rental property and tenants is the 40-hour work week dilemma. Chances are, your tenants have jobs that require them to report to work during the day, for most of the week. Of course, work schedules will vary, but the norm typically revolves around the Monday through Friday, eight to five work week. Do you know who else works those hours? Your vendors and contractors do, making it an instant conflict for scheduling. The key to working around this inconvenience is flexibility. If your tenant can be flexible and present for an appointment during the day, it helps. But it can also be helpful to partner with vendors who understand this dynamic and can also be accommodating to renters’ working schedules. One way to navigate around these potential work week conflicts is to encourage your renter to schedule with the vendor directly. Allowing your tenants to take the reins can ensure they’ll schedule the vendor for a time that’s convenient for them.
Waiting Around for a Vendor
Another vendor scheduling roadblock is the timeline to service and the waiting around issue. It’s understandable that a contractor is unable to determine a precise time based on the job list he or she has on the calendar for the day. But it’s equally understandable when tenants get frustrated with waiting indefinitely, or for windows of two to four hours at a time, for an appointment. There often isn’t a magic wand solution to this problem. But you can help by being available to meet the vendor on behalf of your renter and taking on the waiting period yourself.
Communication as a Scheduling Solution
Communication is often another challenge when it comes to scheduling maintenance or coordinating vendor schedules. But it can also be the solution. Communication may just be the single most effective way to navigate scheduling conflicts. Whether it’s a call, email, or text message, you can keep your vendors and tenants in the loop throughout the entire process. And it’s that transparency and managing of scheduling expectations that can lead to improving tenant satisfaction. People won’t be as frustrated about a delay if they know to expect it and understand why.
Scheduling Software Streamlines Everything
Many rental property owners realize scheduling tools can help streamline their processes. Calendars work well, but you may want to consider adding scheduling software to your system. Manage available times, connect and schedule the vendors, and communicate with your tenants with ease. Automating steps will also free up your time and ensure you’re on top of routine scheduling efforts. Avoid overbooking vendors or scheduling renter appointments too close together, too. It’s an efficiency upgrade you may want to look into for the new year.
If you still feel your vendor scheduling process could use improvement, you can always partner with a rental property management company like ours for help. Take yourself out of the tedious scheduling and coordinating calendars altogether by delegating to a dedicated property manager who can handle everything. Contact us today to leverage these schedule efficiency tips. Join our Facebook group conversation online or tune into our free webinar for other ways to improve your rental property management processes.
