Three Tips For Communicating With Property Managers
When you are doing an electrical job and electrical work for a rental property, most of the times it turns out that you are not dealing directly with the owner, but the property manager. It calls for a different level of etiquette and I would like to share a few pointers to keep in mind when communicating with Property Managers. Even though there are no hard-and-fast rules, you can use them as guidelines to get more business and to do more ethical work.
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1. Follow a budget.
Every property manager has a budget. Stay within it.
Always know how much you will spend on a particular rental property electrical project. Never go over budget. And if you do, communicate with the Property Manager, as opposed to letting them know after a job is done. This is important because the property manager is managing someone else's money.
2. Extra work needs extra approval.
Don't fit an additional pendant light on a rental property, unless approved by the property manager.
When you do additional work without the owner’s or the property manager’s approval, it is akin to stealing because no one gave that project or change a go-ahead. So do not put the cables the owners didn't ask specifically for, only to charge them. It is unethical. As discussed above, you should get a permission from the property manager beforehand. Even when you suggest changes, you have to communicate the price involved.
3. Risk-Benefit Analysis.
Do a risk-benefit analysis with the property manager on the property's roof.
Before you start a project with the property manager, you have to know that you are the expert in the field. Do a Risk-Benefit Analysis when you suggest a change or give an opinion. It should answer two important questions:
What's the risk?
What's the benefit?
A couple of questions that you should always keep in mind.
As an electrician, you have to think and showcase that your work is more valuable than the dollars you have charged/earned. Always point out and elaborate the benefits to your customer so they know that you have done a spiffing job!
And that’s all the things I can think of w.r.t Property Managers in our electrical industry. If you have other useful tips to use when communicating and dealing with property managers, leave us a comment and let us know.
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