Confessions of a Property Manager

Keeping it New
Wednesday, April 30, 2008

I have completely neglected my blog and I apologise, I had some family over last week for my son’s 6^th birthday and trying to fit work and family time in left me collapsing into bed around midnight most nights, absolutely shattered.

I was dealing with a phone call the other day for a holiday rental and even though I was booked and couldn’t accommodate the lady she said that I had been the most helpful and because of that she would defiantly keep my details on file for the future. This got me thinking about how I deal with clients and respond to enquiries and perhaps what made my responses and calls different from the others.

I think it has to do with “keeping it new” and “enthusiasm”

I was driving down from Manilva the other day and the view as you drive down the bank is gorgeous, on a sunny day when the sun is reflected on the water and beams back at you I think how I love the area I live in. I never tire of walking along the beach and hearing the waves lap against the shoreline. When I speak to clients on the phone or email them about the area I feel myself getting enthused about it, how they should sample the tapas bars and how they must visit Sabinillas and sample some of the fresh fish.

As monotonous as answering enquiries can sometimes be, particularly when you look after a few properties, I think it is important to keep it real, keep it new – make it seem like it is the first time you are describing the property and the area. Tell them what it is about the place that gives you the buzz. I have two boys, so whenever a family person emails and is slightly nervous about certain aspects because they have young children, I always tell them about my own experiences with the children, where the best places to take them are, how deep the swimming pools are etc. I recently had an enquiry where a family member was in a wheelchair and they were concerned that the apartment/complex would be ok. I remembered that there was actually a guy living on the complex who was in a wheel chair and the community had changed one of the fire doors round so he could easily get from his car to the apartment. We ended up having a whole discussion about wheelchairs and access problems and built up a good rapport - he was happy to book the apartment.

I hate automated responses and I think in general people prefer to feel like you have given them the time of day, so as well as quick response I think it is good to answer any enquiries from a personal point of view.

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Benalmadena Coach Crash
Sunday, April 20, 2008

Property Management and Rentals aside I woke up this morning and couldn’t stop thinking about the families who lost a loved one in the awful coach accident near Benalmadena. I feel a little spaced out as last night I was sitting in the service station a few kilometres from the crash, in fact in all probability the driver who has now been declared responsible for the accident probably overtook me.

This was my night:

My father and his wife were due to arrive at Gibraltar airport and whilst I had my children at a birthday party my husband was meant to pick them up. I received a call to say that they had been diverted to Malaga due to bad weather; I later heard that it was due to high winds and then loss of radar. The information desk told my husband that they would be bussed down to Gib and they would expect to be there around 10pm.

My two children were so excited to see their granddad that I thought it would be better to collect him from Malaga, he could chat with them on the journey home so I told my father to collect his cases and wait in the café in arrivals but as I was unsure of the procedure, I told him to call me before I set off to make sure that his cases weren’t automatically sent to Gibraltar.

The party was in Manilva and I pulled the car over deliberating whether to take the toll road from there or to go home and wait for his call. I tried to call him several times, thinking, if I got an answer now I could just take that toll road and I would be there quicker. In the end I made the decision to head home and 2 minutes down the Manilva bank he phoned and said that they were waiting in the café so I drove on and picked up the toll road at Estepona, thinking the Manilva toll would have been quicker – but never mind.

Heading towards Benalmadena I checked the time – 7.48 - I reckoned I would be there around 8.00pm. I passed the Benalmandena “Arroyo de la Miel” junction and the next thing I see is a man standing at the side of the road waving his arms like mad. Two things instantly go through my head, one – he is a nutter and gets his kicks from scaring drivers - two – there is some blockage ahead and I should be cautious. Being one always to err on the side of caution I slow down, I can now see the cars in front have their hazards on so I do the same and eventually just short of the service station we come to a stand still.

We wait and wait, there is no movement in the line of traffic at all, then we hear sirens, 2 061 ambulances race up the other lane, then more sirens, I have to move my car over so an ambulance can get through. The children are quiet, I think like me they sense something is bad. Some cars are going down the outside lane and heading into the service station, I wonder if there is a small road which can get me down to Benalmadena and I can take the coast road to the airport so I leave the lane and head into the service station. More sirens, more ambulances, I think this must be a multiple car pile up as we have now counted around 12 ambulances. I decide to get some diesel, the queue in the service station shop is huge, people stocking up on sandwiches and drinks – I think, are we going to be here a long time?

From my new viewpoint in the service station I can see lots of yellow lights flashing around the next bend, whatever has happened it is not too far away – I am wondering how long they will take to clear it up so we can move, I have phoned my dad and explained we are now stuck here and until we move there is nothing I can do. I phone my mother and my husband to see if they know what is going on - they don’t, so I phone my friend and ask her to put the Spanish news on, see if we can shed some light on it – she phones me back within minutes to say it is a bus crash – that explains the number of ambulances – at this point 7 people have died.

I now feel sick, I have goose bumps and with every wailing siren you wonder if the person inside will make it. People are out of their cars, no-one is going anywhere. Luckily the children dose off. Approx 1.5 hours later cars are turning around in the service station and heading back along the N340 the wrong way. The N340 has obviously been blocked at the junction before and now they are clearing the way between the last junction and the crash. I call my dad to say how bad the traffic is and he would be better off getting a taxi to Tivoli world where I can meet him as the flow of traffic should be better his way than mine. I put my phone down from this call in the centre holder between the two seats, I always put my phone here. The children are awake now. I have to cross the main reservation between the East/West road and join the traffic heading West, I need to cross three lanes of traffic to get to the inside lane so I can come off at the next exit and head to Tivoli. It is dark and raining, the traffic is horrible, I scream at the children to be quiet, 7 people have died and I need to get into the right lane!! We are moving but just, cars are trying to get into the lane causing problems with build up behind them. Traffic stops, gridlock, I pick up my phone to call my dad to tell him to explain to the taxi driver not to come the toll road as the traffic is horrendous, my phone is wet. My son – in his 6 year old wisdom – though he would empty the bubbles he got from his party – into the holder where I always put my phone and didn’t mention it – I try using the phone – I can receive calls and make them, I can hear the other people but now no-one can here me - the bubble mixture has gone into the microphone.

I can’t tell my father not to use the toll road, I can’t tell my husband or my mother that I am ok, I scream out that it was the most stupidest thing he has ever done – because I don’t know what else to do. I can only drive to Tivoli and wait. Luckily the text still works and once parked up I text everyone. The children are actually very good – they can sense the tension in the air and daren’t speak to me. A further 1.5 hours later my father and his wife pull up at Tivoli world. The taxi cost 60 euros! I am so tense/relieved by now I could cry.

Back at home the accident is on the evening news. 9 Finnish passengers have died, reports indicate that a driver tried to overtake on the inside lane, hit the barrier and ricocheted into the side of the bus, the driver lost control and the bus flipped over into the central reservation barriers.

With all my stress and anxiety and my son ruining my phone I still managed to picked up my family and take them home, I can’t get out of my head that so many people last night did not, they probably waited at the airport for family who will now never be taken home.

My thoughts today are not on my job they go out to the grieving families and those recovering in the hospitals.

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Turn the light on
Friday, April 18, 2008

Why is it that people have an aversion to changing bulbs? Joy and I recently went to view a property which had been rented out on a long term basis, in every single room there was one or more light bulbs out and we when counted up there were actually 15 bulbs to replace! All different sizes and wattage. They must have lived with limited lighting for months. But what did they have to do to change them, not all owners leave safety ladders in the properties so by the absence of such an item or you saying that it is ok to stand on the furniture to change a bulb?

So many of my owners say “I just stood on the chair” well that is fine when it is their chair, if an owner breaks it then they will only blame themselves, if I stand on a chair and break it what will happen then? I actually refuse to stand on any furniture to change bulbs, safety step ladders with a handle to hold on to are not that expensive to buy, 3 or 4 steps is sufficient. It also makes life so much easier if the light fitting is accessible and remember there is nothing worse than doing a meet and greet or viewing and showing people around a property with light bulbs out. It just gives the wrong impression.

Some light fittings are a nightmare to get into, in one apartment we had to get a screwdriver to get into it. When you are standing on ladders, screwdriver in hand, arms aching like mad and worried sick that you will drop the shade I think, why did they not buy a light fitting which was easily accessible!!! If you are renting out your apartment then this needs to be a consideration. We had one apartment which had light fittings which took the long thin bulbs which were 150 watts, they got so hot that the ceiling plaster started to crack and when the bulb went it actually melted onto the shade. We advised the owner to change the light fittings in all the rooms as they were dangerous.

Please consider light fittings if you are thinking of renting your apartment, look at them not only from an ornamental point of view but from a practical point of view. Consider who is going to change them and are they easy to change, have you got a supply of spare bulbs available or do you expect that someone will have to go out and buy them for you? If a screwdriver is needed are you prepared to pay a call out charge to get someone to change it? Are the bulbs easily accessible and can be seen so that you know exactly what bulbs to buy or do you have to open the fitting before you can even tell what bulb it takes. If so have you made a list of which lights require which bulbs? Bulb maintenance can be a whole job in itself.

So, how many people does it take to change a light bulb?

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Customer Satisfaction Guaranteed - NOT!
Friday, April 11, 2008

Oh, I was so mad the other day about a phone call and email I received that I have to offload – so forgive me for my ranting!

To give you some background, we introduced a gardening company to some clients around the end of last year, up until recently they had done some good work however with the last couple of jobs there were a few problems. One was that amongst other things they had promised to kill the weeds in a garden box, they were meant to use proper weed killer to get rid of the weeds however within less than 2 weeks there were loads of weeds back. The job also entailed trimming back trees. The owners were not impressed with the photos any of the work, so we spoke to them. They said they would go back and sort the garden box out for us. Several months later we received an invoice for 15 euros. I felt this was out of order as we were not advised at the time that there would be an additional charge and felt that it should have been done as part of the existing job as the customer was not happy so we didn’t believe they should have to pay again.

The other case was that they had done a large job with other owners which they were paid for but the irrigation system that they put in failed to work after a very short period, and a lot of the plants that they put in a garden box died within a short timescale. They discussed the problems direct with the owners but throughout this the irrigation system was always a problem. We asked them several times if they could fix it and they said they would but we did not hear anything for around 6 months – in the end the owners had to have the system repaired themselves so refused to pay a bill that was outstanding for 35 euros. The owner emailed the company direct and told them so.

I received a phone call Wednesday morning from the lady of the company asking if I had received her email, at that point I had not, she then proceeded to say she wanted paying for the outstanding 15 euros, I tried to explain that this should never have been an invoice and it was no way indicated at the time that the work would be charged for so why should the owner pay again when they had already paid for the work to be done in the first place. She didn’t seem to get this but insisted on repeating very loudly to me that it was 15 euros, 15 euros, 15 euros, in the end I had to simply ask why she kept saying that?

Then she hung up.

Several hours later I received a copy of an email she sent direct to the owners who owed 35 euros, I was the cc. In it she stated that they did not put in the watering system and it was not on their invoice (it was on their invoice – but they contracted that part out to a friend) and then she tried get back at me by saying “as they did not give commissions to agents, as they had been asked to do by us, she was therefore unaware of the amount that they refused to pay”. (Little did the woman know I have extremely good relations with my owners and we had given the owner the bill direct from this company and asked them what they wanted to do) However, I could not get over the fact that this woman was trying her best to stab me in the back! She also went on to say that as they had another unpaid debt from a client of ours (the 15 euros as above) they wouldn’t do any further work for us.

It was the next paragraph which particularly got me, she then went on to say that as a bonafide company they were sick of owners going back to England and leaving unpaid debts. She then chose to state that property offered for rental whether through an agency or not was liable for tax (what has this got to do with the unpaid bill!!!!!!) and then we got an insight into her recent career move – she has been involved with the town hall, ayuntamiento (she chose to put this in English and Spanish so we were not confused) and now works voluntarily for Manilva TV. She then informs us that the town council have been helpful in the matter of unpaid bills and there is now a local organisation set up for the non-payment of bills and she is passing over details to them.

I couldn’t believe it! The fact that she has, in her opinion, two unpaid bills is one thing and although I don’t believe they should be paid due to the lack of customer satisfaction, the unprofessional approach of her email and the tax statement was too much. What is it with people!!! Of all the underhanded ways to go about things. There is normally a procedure to be followed in these cases – however I have a hunch that they are not registered so it may make following the correct procedure a little difficult – I doubt that they have a complaints book/procedure in place!

I did reply to her email, it wasn’t the nicest of emails I have ever written but I am sick of people calling themselves “bonafide” companies when they are not, she may have a chip on her shoulder about English people not paying her but what if they had good reason? If I do something wrong I will go out of my way to put it right and make sure the customer is happy and I don’t see why anyone should have to pay for shoddy workmanship! I will stand up for my owners when I feel that they have been short changed and I won’t let this woman try and intimidate them. I have yet to have a response back - so who knows, perhaps I will have a mention on Manilva TV!

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Time flies....
Tuesday, April 8, 2008

I can’t believe it is a week since my last posting, I have been locked away in a time zone! The enquiries have at last started to come in, the British must be sick of the recent snow and cold weather and have at last started to imagine themselves in a warmer climate. Bad weather is always a good wake up call! We had so many enquiries last year from the Irish when it rained for over 90 days none stop. We had them crying down the phone desperate for a week’s reprieve from the rain.

Dealing with enquiries is quite time consuming as there is often more to consider than you first think. I have owners who are very specific on their rental arrangements, for instance, I have one owner who will not offer any discounts or late deals, she is totally adamant on Sat – Sat bookings and will only offer 2 weekly bookings during July and August. I have other owners who will also only offer Sat-Sat bookings but I am finding this more and more of a hindrance as more enquiries than not are for mid-week bookings. A lot of enquirers are booking cheaper week flights rather than the more expensive weekend flights – don’t they realise this causes problems with my calendars!!

At the start of every year it seems I have this big jigsaw puzzle to complete and you have to fit the right rentals in the right places to get the big picture. Luckily I do have some owners who are more flexible and I can rent around the dates I need. It is important to consider your booking calendar and not just take every rental enquiry that comes your way. For instance, I would never leave a 6 day gap between rentals – in all my time renting I have never known an enquiry for 6 days so if you do that you can practically wipe those dates out and what a loss. Far better to say you can offer them the day after and leave yourself a week which you are much more likely to fill.

This week I have had some really time consuming enquires, people who have asked a lot of questions about the position/aspect/view of the apartments, (yes, all of that information is in the description but it seems that is not the same as asking direct) I also had to describe the layout of Duquesa port. In fact this one enquiry has taken over 5 emails to secure the booking, every time I moved forward they would find something else to be concerned about. When I eventually got the reservation form though it felt like a winning round!

Talking about enquires I have to admit that response times are really important. 90% of my replies back begin with “thank you for your prompt response” yes, it does mean that I am tied to my desk 75% of the day but it is worth it when you get an instant booking. If you don’t answer enquiries within a few hours or maximum 24 hours you can guarantee that someone else has and you have lost it. I once managed to secure a booking from another agent in the port as the client had not heard from them in 2 days and I responded immediately, having your finger on the trigger can certainly clinch the deal.

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New Properties - teething problems
Tuesday, April 1, 2008

What a busy week! We have managed to get a long term rental in a new property in Sabinillas. However, there have been a few teething problems. Some small ones which were easily fixed but the main problem is that when you put 3 rings on the oven hob the fuse trips at the main fuse box. Even if there is nothing else on in the apartment at the time it trips the fuse after a few seconds. I had to leave the electrician testing all the fuses today so I am currently waiting on his report.

It is a little embarrasing when this happens when the tenants have literally just moved in. My advice to all owners is to check that everything is in working order before you pass the apartment over to be let. Check that the electrics can cope with the hob and oven on at the same time. Also check that the air con is working and/or heating. If at all possible I would live in the apartment for a week, cook in it, use everything, simply to ensure that everything is in working order. You normaly have a month to snag so best to be as indepth as possible, it is very hard to get the developers to look at anything once they have your snag list signed off.

We currently have an apartment at Coto Real which has a leak in the communal area above the front door, the water runs down and drips onto the front door, this caused it to swell and the owners were in a situation where they couldn't leave because they could not close the door. They were really worried as they had to fly back the day it happened and had visions of being stuck in their apartment because they couldn't shut the door! We had to send a maintenance guy in to adjust the door so that it would close. This issue has been reported to the community office who have sent out a guy to check the situation, he said that it was a common problem and would file a report to the developers. This was in February, we have yet to hear anything constructive from the developers, they love to pass the problem back to the communtiy office. There have been so many emails sent from one to the other it makes you dizzy. As the weather has been sunny recently they presume that everyone will have forgotten the problem and perhaps we will all go away and leave them alone. Sorry - we will keep emailing until something is done!

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