The importance of "Thank You"

We all get caught up in the hustle and bustle of the world...phones are ringing like crazy, emails are piling in, and the 1st of the month is around the corner. A small "thank you" now and then can really turn your day around.

After a crazy morning filled with meetings, I drove down to my local Subway, ordered my sandwich and was on my way. I took my receipt from the cashier and I was off. I never really look at receipts on small purchases (although I should) but today, I did. And Subway thanked me. Written on their receipt, and not hidden or in smaller type was the following: "Thank you for making Subway the World's Best Sandwich!" WOW. I needed that today. Such a small effort on their part, but it made a big impact on my day.

How do you thank your residents? You may not think they notice the little things, but they do...and it could put a much needed positive spin on their day.

I ask residents if there is anything we can do for them whenever I see them, and I try to remember to thank them for choosing to live here.

I mounted a magazine rack in my laundry room and order magazines for residents to read while waiting for their laundry.

My latest way to say "thank you" to residents is one I copied from a McDonalds. I haven't done it yet but I have all the supplies.

I bought some shiny mylar tissue from Dollar tree, along with a fancy border, streamers, and some letters. I will decorate the bulletin board and put up the words "thank you."

I hope they like it!!

Great suggestions, Rose!!

Here's a thought: write a hand-written thank you on your work orders that reads, "Thanks for making ABC Apartments the best place to work AND live!"

Thanks Andee! I like your idea too!

We like to keep the maintenance requests in the unit file, but I'll make sure to say that when we do our maintenance follow up calls!

I completely agree - a hand-written note goes a long way. I really try to stay away from the corny one-liners (I mean no offense to those who like and use them) but do try the personal touch. I joke that I am "off to ruin someone's day" as I leave the house in the morning since I seemingly say 'no' all day (we are a federal property with too many restrictions). So, if I notice a unit with nice plants, I send a little card thanking them for taking such care of their home and enhancing the area. I also call for simple things, non-lease related. A resident was missing a tail light and I called and left them a message that I noticed it as I was driving behind them and they were very appreciative.

I've also asked my staff to do 5 nice things per month for residents, above and beyond what they normally do. It's really things we should do anyway but staff has had fun trying to one up each other and residents have enjoyed the random acts of kindness. One resident, for example, just had a baby and was talking about the amount of diapers she went thru. One of my agents found some coupons for diapers and mailed them to her. The simple, thoughtful, no gimmick approach works wonders!

Great ideas guys! Thanks for sharing! Keep them coming!!

Here's a "thank you" that still stands out in my mind. 23 years ago I was stopped by the Police in Albany Georgia. They had just made changes to their mandatory auto insurance laws so they were stopping everyone to check their proof of insurance. After they verified that I was in compliance, they gave me a coupon for a free meal at a local fast food place and said thank you. I had never been thanked by an authority figure before (or since!) for anything, so it made a very lasting impression.

That's my goal- to make a lasting impression of graciousness to everyone I meet.

Yeah, a warm thank you is always good.
I feel great everytime someone smiles and thanks me, show i just helped someone and made them happy, also every time i interact with people even the security guards at work i always make sure i thank them

I manage a Sr's property. We do have a resident who handles our activities and receives a monthly concession (although we always help out at every event). For Mothers and Fathers Days we always do a luncheon that is strictly handled by my staff. While petty cash pays for all of the supplies my staff and I prepare all of the food and decorations, then serve the resident ourselves. It has been a huge sucess. At our recent Fathers Day cookout we had to scramble to find chair and extra space because so many residents showed up. Also especially for Fathers Day we serve the men first and the get a huge kick out of it!
In general my staff goes out of the way for residents. Anything from running to the post office to get a resident last minute birthday card out to a grandchild to pumping up the tires in their motorized wheelchair, finding reputable dog sitters, or printing out directions to a specific Dr.'s office. Its the little things that mean the most!
We joke that when a resident dials 411 it is forwarded to our office. We constantly finds phone numbers, Dr.'s, and other senior services for our residents. NONE of these things are required of us, but we all care enough to go the extra mile. As I was just telling a prosective residents daughter "Happy Residents make for a Happy Management Team!!"

We send cards to our residents. Birthdays, Thank you for renewing, Congratulations on graduation, new job, new baby, etc. We also send Christmas cards and other cards during the year. We can send a nice card for as little as $1.06. We can send gifts, upload pictures and even use our own handwriting font. The tenants love the cards and call to Thank us for thinking of them.

If anyone is interested in more information regarding a inexpensive way to send a real card, contact me at [email protected]. or 423-773-9011.

Agreed! Now, I have to admit I don't go above and beyond to thank my residents by writing them cute little notes gushing over my appreciation for what they have done. I do though get to know every resident on my property so that I am able to have a relationship with each one, where a thank you is just as heartfelt by saying it to them, as writing a handwritten letter. I don't send birthday cards but I do wish them a happy birthday on their birthday if I see them (most of them actually remind me that their birthday is that week or month when I see them) and if they ask where their card is... I'll draw a cute picture on a post-it for them... and believe me the next time I do an inspection of their home you better believe my post-it drawing is still on their refrigerator in most cases. Now granted, most of my residents are college kids so they like the easy breezy way I do things... surprisingly so does the parents... I get compliment after compliment from parents who tell me what a great experience they have had or are having at my community. I think if you build a good relationship with your residents it doesn't matter how you say thank you... because if they know you then they know you mean it if it's written down in your handwriting, typed out, in a card, or scribbled on a post it note what could or could not be a drawing of a dog.. or is it a cat?!!?

We make an effort to thank our residents every chance we get...from right off the bat...when they turn in an application, I send a thank you note letting them know how much I appreciate them applying to my complex...when they move in, I have a thank you move in gift waiting for them in their apartment...When they come to do their paperwork, I thank them...I try to have a cold bottle of water in the summer or hot water for coffee/tea/cocoa in the winter that they can drink while doing their paperwork...Once they sign a new lease with us, we give them a thank you gift...the last Wednesday of every month we have a customer appreciation day...we set up an area in the laundry room with drinks (lemonade/tea in the summer - hot drinks in the winter) and snacks (individual size treats...chips, Little Debbies treats, etc)...If a resident participates in an activity we have, we send them a certificate of participation with a little post-it that says Thank you for coming to our activity...we send out birthday letters, anniversary letters, newsletters, etc. and all of them say thank you...I even say thank you to them when they move-out...when I send their security deposit disposition letter, I hand write Thank you for making your home with us for the past "so and so"...

I do the same with my staff...I thank them all day long for whatever they are doing, etc. Every now and again, I will leave them a little thank you note that lets them know how much I appreciate their hard work...when it's hot out, I will buy them a soda or gatorade as a thank you...

It is amazing how something so small and simple can mean so much to someone...

THANK YOU for sharing these great ideas. I agree you can never say Thank You enough to residents and staff.
A couple of ideas I can share with you:
Give each staff member "Good Deed Coupons" for them to give out to any kids seen on the property doing a Good Deed. To thank them for their good deed, they can redeem their coupon by coming into the office (where we make a big deal out of it) and pick out a treat from a treasure chest. Kids love it, parents love it and other kids on the property suddenly become eager to do go deeds. Win, Win...
Another thing we do is when Maintenance completes a Service Request during our Resident Appreciation Month; they leave a note with a pen saying "We Love Our Residents" thanking them for being a member of our community. The next business day we follow up via telephone or email to make sure everything was done to their satisfaction.

We recently leased a home to a young couple with children. I purchased some soap products from Bath & Body Works and placed them in each of the bathrooms and one in the kitchen. I also followed up with a Welcome card I created from Send Out Cards. They loved the products and card! Also, when a tenant renews we do send a Thank you card. At Christmas tenants that have been with us several years receive a $25.00 gift card to a book store or restaurant.

It is very important to make our Residents feel appreciated; however choosing to reward longer term Residents during the holidays may give the rest of your residents a negative impression. I would provide these Gift Cards at renewal time instead of the holidays. Just a suggestion ....

The other tenants are not aware of this because this is not an apartment complex. It just so happens that the longer term tenants live in our homes. Some have been with us 14 + years. Thank you for the suggestion!!