Thriving in uncertain times

“The concept was to combine the best practice in social housing together with the private property sector to create a new type of service that included the transparency that landlords, leaseholders and tenants were so keen to see,” says Hera’s Managing Director, Suzanne Wicks. “The majority of profits from this company are handed back to the parent company to invest in the communities in which they work.”

Have the right staff and training:

“Finding the right staff can be a challenge,” says Suzanne. “The property sector gets a lot of bad press. It’s important to employ people with a solid background in private sector property management, who share the same vision and principles as you, as well as having the best personal qualities, such as honesty, efficiency and reliability.”

Once you have suitable staff in place, the right training is vital. Hera employees were given opportunities for training including in the ‘Gober Method’™, developed by Mary Gober, a leading authority in customer service. Mary Gober

International specialises in training, coaching and consulting services to develop customer-focused cultures in organisations worldwide. Other firms to have used the ‘Gober Method’™ include Marks & Spencer, Nestle, BA and Coca-Cola.

Offer the best value possible:

Management companies should offer a good service for an agreed price, which means not adding on fees for additional site visits, meetings and other work. The price you quote for management of the building should be the price that is paid.

“Some people don’t understand ‘best value’; they confuse it with ‘cheap’ and that is not the case at all,” says Suzanne. “Best value is finding the right service at the best price and looking for added value that will benefit customers is a key priority.”