The Highest Quality Telephone Answering Service in the United States

Centratel

Telephone Answering Service

property management answering service

Tenant Queries, Resolved Day and Night: Answer Services for Property Management Businesses

November 2, 2023
Property Management
By Centratel

In the intricate tapestry of property management, tenant queries emerge as critical threads. Every dawn heralds the possibility of emergencies, while every dusk brings closure to another day of challenges. Given the diverse spectrum of issues that can arise, it’s imperative for property management businesses to avail steadfast solutions. Centratel emerges as the clarion call in these situations with our unmatched answer service, ensuring that tenant queries are met with efficiency, accuracy, and care.

Bridging the Communication Abyss: The Power of an Answer Service

Efficient communication is the cornerstone of effective property management. Property managers routinely grapple with emergencies, from the ominous warning of carbon monoxide alarms to the urgency of water leaks. These demand immediate responses, which is where Centratel’s high-caliber answer service comes into play.

Emergencies Decoded: Navigating Five Key Challenges with Centratel’s Answer Service

  1. Water Leaks and Burst Pipes: Water damage is more than just a property’s cry for help; it’s an urgent appeal for immediate action. Amidst the chaos of handling multiple properties, managers need an ally, and Centratel’s answer service is that dependable partner. We ensure that any emergency call related to water incidents is promptly addressed, ensuring minimal damage and timely repairs.
  2. Elevator Malfunctions: Trapped tenants or a non-functional elevator can disrupt the normal flow of a commercial or residential building. With Centratel’s meticulous screening criteria, we swiftly differentiate between urgent and non-urgent elevator-related calls, ensuring that tenants aren’t left in the lurch.
  3. Heating or Cooling System Failures: A comfortable living environment is non-negotiable. When heating or cooling systems falter, tenant discomfort can escalate into dissatisfaction. With our emphasis on human engagement over AI, Centratel’s answer service guarantees prompt attention to these critical concerns.
  4. Security Breaches and Broken Locks: Security isn’t just about locks and alarms; it’s about peace of mind. Our operators, trained in the art of concise and accurate communication, ensure that any reported security issue is communicated to property managers without delay.
  5. Pest Infestations: From the unnerving buzz of pests to health concerns, infestations can quickly sour tenant-manager relationships. Centratel offers a seamless communication line, enabling timely interventions and appropriate action.

Mastering Management: Tackling Five Intrinsic Challenges

  1. Maintenance Issues: Maintenance isn’t just about repairs; it’s an intricate dance between tenant satisfaction and property upkeep. By offering timely and effective communication through our answer service, Centratel aids in preempting maintenance concerns and ensures smooth operations.
  2. Tenant Turnover: Every tenant’s departure heralds the dual challenge of property refurbishment and new tenant onboarding. With messages delivered via multiple mediums, from SMS to email, Centratel facilitates streamlined communication, reducing turnover time.
  3. Communication Barriers: Clarity in communication is the bedrock of effective property management. Centratel’s emphasis on genuine human engagement ensures that every query, be it about lease terms or utilities, is addressed with care and precision.
  4. Handling Emergencies: Emergencies test the resilience of any property management system. Centratel’s commitment to accurate and speedy processing ensures that emergencies, from fires to toxic spills, are communicated to managers swiftly and efficiently.
  5. Increasing Operational Costs: Balancing the budgetary tightrope is a challenge. By providing a fixed fee for each call and a transparent billing cycle, Centratel offers predictability in operational expenses, aiding in effective budget planning.

Enhancing the Tenant-Manager Nexus with Centratel

In an industry dominated by contracts and agreements, the value of human connection cannot be underemphasized. At Centratel, our dedicated answer service is a testament to this belief. By avoiding the cold detachment of AI and prioritizing genuine human interactions, we bridge the gap between tenants and property managers. The result? A thriving community, seamless operations, and the promise of unparalleled support. Property managers keen on enriching their service portfolio can explore our specialized offering for the industry at Centratel’s Property Management Answering Service. Furthermore, for a detailed overview of our services and costs, we encourage a visit to Request a Price Quote.

Conclusion

In the realm of property management, challenges are as diverse as the properties themselves. From the harrowing urgency of emergencies to the steady persistence required in day-to-day management, property managers need steadfast partners. Centratel, with its unmatched answer service, offers unwavering support, ensuring that tenant queries, day or night, are met with expertise and care.

Image by pressfoto on Freepik

A Telephone Answering Service Representative taking calls at Centratel

Centratel is an elite national telephone answering service headquartered in Bend, Oregon. Across the United States, Centratel’s Property Management Answering Service assists hundreds of property management operations handle overflow calls, screen after-hours inquiries, capture leads, and forward calls. Whether you’re managing rental homes, renting out apartments, managing an HOA or operating a senior living facility, an elite-quality property management answering service such as Centratel is the ideal solution. Call us today. Your first 30 days are free.

Taking the Next Step

For more specifics on cost, to start the onboarding process, or to just talk to us, fill out this form with your basic information and if it’s during regular working hours (M-F 8am to 8pm EST or 5am to 5pm PST), we’ll get back to you within minutes. Or, during the above hours, you can simply call us at 800-664-7159 or send us an email to inquiry@centratel.com.

(And note: for a quick orientation on how we operate, take a moment to review one or more of the key points listed below.)

For more specifics on cost, to start the onboarding process, or to just talk to us, fill out this form with your basic information and if it’s during regular working hours (M-F 8am to 8pm EST or 5am to 5pm PST), we’ll get back to you within minutes. Or, during the above hours, you can simply call us at 800-664-7159 or send us an email to inquiry@centratel.com.

(And note: for a quick orientation on how we operate, take a moment to review one or more of the key points listed on the right.)

Terms of Service

Why Choose Centratel

BY SAM CARPENTER
September 1, 2024

1.CENTRATEL’S UNIQUE 30-DAY FREE TRIAL

Why is this important? Because it will provide you a truly accurate estimate of cost (we bill monthly), it will demonstrate our quality, and it gives both sides of this equation—you and Centratel—the necessary time to refine and perfect operational details.

Here’s a testimonial from a new medical client that had just finished their 30-day trial: “Of course, I love the cost as it is close to the amount I was allowed by the president of the company. I told him that if we did not continue with Centratel, I would resign as the Director of Customer Service, and I meant it. It’s a great fit. We have had NOT ONE complaint from a patient or in-house which, as you know, we received daily with our former answering service. I love you, Centratel, and the price. I’m ready to sign whatever documents you require. Thanks for the great service, and the free month! To a great partnership! -KB, Phoenix“

2.STATISTICALLY, THE BEST IN THE U.S.?

Answering service quality is 100% dependent on human action and reaction, and in the course of a single day a multitude of human decisions are made by the people who process the calls: Telephone Service Representatives, or TSRs. (Some answering services refer to them as “agents.” Others, “operators.”)

Like any other answering service, at Centratel we’re dealing with real live human beings and so human errors occur. But within this labor intensive service industry that is historically known for marginal quality, Centratel’s error rate is light years ahead of established standards. Our most recent Customer Reported Error Rate (April through June, 2024) was 1 customer-reported error for every 6,491 message transactions processed. That statistic is unmatched.

There’s no artificial intelligence manipulation, we do not offshore calls, and we were founded and have always operated within the United States. (Note that since early 2020, the COVID six-foot social distancing mandate drove thousands of small-to-medium sized answering services out of business. Large, foreign-owned multi-nationals, often disguised by the name of the local answering services they acquired, now thoroughly dominate the industry. Hence, an even further decline in general service quality. See this analysis.)

3.CUSTOMER SERVICE EXTRAORDINAIRE

Your concerns and requests will be instantly acted upon. It’s a work ethic that stands out in stark contrast from the general quality decline in human-to-human business-customer communications. You’ve seen it yourself, all around. At Centratel you will know the customer service people you’re working with by name, appreciating their special listening abilities as well as their take-action-now comportments i.e. see the testimonial in point #1 above. ‘Nuff said!

4.GETTING STARTED: IT’S SIMPLE AND FAST

Getting your new Centratel answering service 30-day free trial started is accomplished within 24-48 hours. From the start, your “onboarding” customer service representative will be with you every step of the way, listening carefully to your concerns, answering questions, and offering suggestions.

5.NEW TO USING AN ANSWERING SERVICE?

A majority of our current answering service accounts switched to us from another service because of quality problems. However, if you have not used a service before, you are not familiar with the options, benefits, and pitfalls. As noted, our 30-day free trial provides you—and us—plenty of time to precisely refine your desired message-taking and delivery protocols; to get things exactly the way you want them to be without any financial risk, undue pressure, or obligation. 

6.PRICING

Starting at $89 per month, our rates rank in the mid-range of the industry. For call processing, we charge by the “transaction unit” rather than the duration of time spent handling calls. The three “mega-services” in operation in the U.S. prefer time billing because it ensures the company is compensated for lower-paid/high-turnover —and thus slower— agents. In any answering service, it takes a long time for a new agent to become fast, efficient, and stable. At Centratel, we have always sought to retain experienced agents (via higher pay and great benefits) and, therefore, engender low staff turnover. Needless to say, experienced agents make fewer errors than trainees who learn on-the-job.

7.ACCURATELY COMPARING ANSWERING SERVICE PRICING IS COMPLICATED

It’s apples and oranges. There isn’t an industry standard for billing, and each answering service has its own formula. Also, as noted above, some services charge by “time” while others charge by “work units.” Others combine the two. At Centratel, we charge for the work we do, not by the time we spend. The raw truth is that the only reliable way to determine monthly cost for a new service is to use that service for a solid month. Most answering services offer a 7-day free trial or no trial at all.

8.BEWARE: MONTHLY OR 28-DAY BILLING?

Important! At Centratel, we use a “monthly” billing cycle in which invoices are compiled from the first day of a month to the last day of that month. When soliciting quotes from other services, be sure to ask if the base-rate charges are billed monthly or on a “28-day billing cycle.” There is no good reason for a 28-day billing cycle! It’s bait-and-switch: customers billed on a 28-day cycle actually receive thirteen billings per year and therefore the overall cost is higher.

9.NO CONTRACT AND SIMPLE TERMS OF SERVICE

We do not require a yearly contract for service because we believe you should have the opportunity to evaluate us real-time, without restraint. Our terms of service are simple and straight-forward.

10.VALUABLE FREE GIFT FOR CONTACTING US

If you take the time to discuss answering service with us, on the same day we will ship you a hardcover copy of Sam Carpenter’s bestselling book, Work The System: The Simple Mechanics of Making More and Working Less, now in its 4th edition…but soon to be released in a 5th edition (August 2024). We’ll send you a copy of this 5th edition, too, when it’s released. (Sam is the founder and President of Centratel. December 1st 2024 marks his fortieth year of ownership.)