Abuse is not part of the job

Somewhere along the way, our industry has begun to accept behaviour that would be considered unacceptable in almost any other workplace. Property professionals are shouted at, sworn at, threatened, subjected to personal insults and, in some cases, physically assaulted. There are stories of colleagues being spat at, having their cars vandalised while attending sites, or facing intimidating behaviour that goes far beyond a heated disagreement.

Sadly, these are not isolated incidents, speak to almost any experienced property professional and they will have their own story.

The most worrying part is how often these experiences are dismissed with the phrase, “It’s just part of the job.”

No, it isn’t.

Let’s be clear: Residents and leaseholders have every right to challenge poor service, they should expect professionalism, transparency and accountability from managing agents, and where standards fall short, complaints are entirely justified.

However, there is a fundamental difference between holding someone accountable and abusing them.

There is a difference between expressing frustration and making personal attacks, there is a difference between raising concerns and threatening someone’s livelihood with malicious or knowingly false complaints, there is a difference between expecting answers and treating another human being with contempt.

One behaviour seeks a resolution, the other seeks to intimidate.

For many property professionals, the abuse is deeply personal. Colleagues whose first language is not English have described people raising their voices, speaking slowly and condescendingly, as though language ability reflects professional competence. Others have been made to feel that paying a service charge somehow entitles someone to treat them without basic courtesy or respect; it does not.

A service charge pays for the management of a building; it does not buy the right to abuse the people managing it.

The hidden cost of this behaviour is significant. It contributes to stress, anxiety and burnout, it drives experienced professionals out of the industry and makes it increasingly difficult to attract the next generation of talent. At a time when the role of the property manager has become more complex than ever, we cannot afford to normalise behaviour that pushes good people away.

Many organisations proudly promote Zero Tolerance policies, but policies alone are not enough. If employees do not feel empowered to invoke them, or lack confidence that they will be supported when they do, those policies risk becoming little more than words on a website.

Supporting employees does not mean lowering service standards or discouraging legitimate complaints, it means recognising that professionalism is expected from everyone involved. Respect should not be conditional on whether someone agrees with a decision or is satisfied with the latest service charge budget.

The property management profession is built on relationships, communication and trust and those values work both ways.

As an industry, perhaps it is time we stopped asking only how we can improve customer service and started asking how we create environments where respectful conversations can take place.

Because excellent customer service should never require accepting abuse.

Property professionals deserve the same dignity, respect and psychological safety as every other profession.

Abuse is not part of the job.

And it never should be.

Louie-Mae Gibson, Estate Director, Knight Frank Promise