{"id":2732,"date":"2016-07-26T09:28:22","date_gmt":"2016-07-26T09:28:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/?p=2732"},"modified":"2016-07-29T13:08:45","modified_gmt":"2016-07-29T13:08:45","slug":"letting-agents-customer-service","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/letting-agents-customer-service\/","title":{"rendered":"Letting Agents and Customer Service"},"content":{"rendered":"

Letting agents often get a bad rap for their customer service.\u00a0 Media reports over the last few months have portrayed letting agents in a negative light.\u00a0 Stories have abounded on letting agent\u2019s poor customer service, lack of compliance with their legal obligations and even criminal activity!\u00a0 These reports, coupled with recent criticism by MPs over their \u201carbitrary and exploitative fees\u201d, have left the reputation of letting agents somewhat shaky.\u00a0 To top this, a recent survey by Ipsos MORI revealed that estate and letting agents are viewed by the public as one of the least trusted professions in the UK.\u00a0 Unfair?\u00a0 Perhaps, but what can letting agents do to challenge this negative public perception?\u00a0 According to property experts, get back to basics, and focus on providing great customer service to landlords and tenants.<\/p>\n

Customer service \u2013 getting it wrong<\/h2>\n

A study by the Property Academy has revealed that 70% of landlords have left a letting agent in the past year, 75% of which has been over poor customer service.\u00a0 For many landlords, letting agents are seen as charging a lot for very little.\u00a0 Yet, for the time pressed landlord, new to the game, or one with a large property portfolio, a good letting agent can be a godsend.\u00a0 A letting agent can be the trusted advisor to guide a landlord through the quagmire of legislative and legal complexity that comes with renting.\u00a0 They can ensure that the property is rented to reputable tenants and take the hassle out of managing the tenancy.<\/p>\n

Customer service \u2013 getting it right<\/h2>\n

The forecast for the rental market is positive as are the opportunities for letting agents to grow.\u00a0 However, many property pundits predict this growth will bring increased competition for letting agents, be it from new entrants to the market or from online offerings.\u00a0 To differentiate from the pack, letting agents must now focus on the quality of their customer service, to capitalise on this growth.\u00a0 There are many ways letting agents can improve customer service and we suggest the following principles to guide you.<\/p>\n

1)\u00a0Be transparent<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Fees are a major bone of contention for landlords and tenants.\u00a0 Be upfront about your fees.\u00a0 Explain what your fees are for and how they will be charged.\u00a0 Have fees prominently listed on your website and freely available in your office.\u00a0 Make sure they are current and up to date.<\/p>\n

2)\u00a0Be compliant<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Make sure you are compliant with standards and regulations, including advertisement of fees, property redress schemes, tenancy deposit schemes and professional body standards.\u00a0 Letting landlords and tenants know that you are compliant demonstrations you are a credible and reputable agency.<\/p>\n

3)\u00a0Be responsive<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Bad repair management is the main reason landlords leave their letting agent.\u00a0 Make sure you respond to repairs requests promptly and efficiently.\u00a0\u00a0 Get feedback on your service by both tenants and landlords and act on it.<\/p>\n

4)\u00a0Be accessible<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Provide a personalised service.\u00a0 Have published service standards publically available and stick to them.\u00a0 Get back to landlords and tenants when you say you will.\u00a0 Offer an out of hour\u2019s service.\u00a0 Check in with tenants regularly and keep in contact with landlords to let them know how their property is being managed.<\/p>\n

5)\u00a0Be a role model<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Be the change you want to see and challenge the stereotype of letting agents.\u00a0 Raise the profile of letting agents in your community by sponsoring local events and charities.\u00a0 Be active in trade and professional associations and be at the forefront of driving up service standards in the lettings industry.<\/p>\n

Letting agents \u2013 a quality product delivered through great customer service<\/h2>\n

At LegalforLandlords, we work with letting agents who provide a quality product through great customer service throughout the UK.\u00a0 Unfortunately, in an unregulated market it is often the bad few that grab all the headlines.\u00a0 However, by getting back to basics, and promoting the quality of their service these letting agents can grab some headlines of their own.\u00a0 With a renewed focus on the customer, we hope more landlords will forgo going it alone, and turn to the trusted advice, and quality service of a letting agent.
\nAt LegalforLandlords we offer expert professional and legal services to letting agents.\u00a0 We like to practice what we preach so get in touch and let us know how we can help you.\u00a0 Give us a call on 0333 577 9050, or our try us on our free advice line 0800 840 7133.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Letting agents often get a bad rap for their customer service.\u00a0 Media reports over the last few months have portrayed letting agents in a negative light.\u00a0 Stories have abounded on letting agent\u2019s poor customer service, lack of compliance with their legal obligations and even criminal activity!\u00a0 These reports, coupled with recent criticism by MPs over […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":11204,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[1],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\nLetting Agents and Customer Service - Legal For Landlords<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Letting agents have a poor reputation, focusing on offering a quality product through great customer service can challenge that perception\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/dev.withcreative.co.uk\/lforl\/letting-agents-customer-service\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Letting Agents and Customer Service - 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