Adopting new technology is maddening, but with multifamily living communities upgrading to smart video intercom systems, getting residents smoothly on board is the greatest concern. The smart systems will enhance security, convenience, and quality of life, but their full potential is only realized when residents understand, adopt, and use them with ease. Effective planning of a rollout ensures the migration will be seamless, generating excitement rather than frustration, and return on investment for property managers.
Smooth Start: Announcing Your New Intercom Early
Early and obvious communication is the secret to successful technology deployment. Conditioning the residents on moving day to an unheralded new system will lead to frustration, anger, and a blizzard of support calls. Instead, property management can attempt to create the expectation and anticipation by promoting the change ahead of time in order for the residents to learn about it and adjust to a new way of managing the entry system of their building.
Your initial notice should state installing a new video intercom system, highlighting the "why" of the upgrade. Highlight that this is an investment in strategy to further secure, offer unparalleled convenience with leading-edge amenities, and simplify daily living in the property. Give a general installation timeline and anticipated go-live date, promising residents more detailed information, including guides and support infrastructures, to come closer to launch.
To give everyone advance notice, disseminate this notification through multiple channels. Utilize your resident portal, email newsletter, and high-traffic on-site signage in public areas like lobbies and laundry rooms. Attempt a "teaser" social media or digital signage campaign to build excitement and create positive word out regarding the new amenity arriving, reminding them that this is an upgrade designed to improve their lifestyle.
Unlocking Convenience: Resident Intercom Benefits
When describing the new system, it is better to talk about the actual benefits residents will gain, moving beyond "security" in general to illustrate how their lives will be improved on a daily basis. Start with what more individual security and peace of mind derive from visual verification. In contrast to older video-only and audio-only systems, residents can now view exactly who's at the door with high-definition video on their smartphone, screening visitors with confidence and unwanted people out, making the community "much safer."
Aside from security, emphasize the game-changing convenience that new video intercoms provide. The ability to open the building gate or front door remotely via an app on their cell phone is groundbreaking since residents can grant access to expected visitors, housekeepers, or dog walkers even when they are not present themselves. This eliminates having to rush back home or leave keys behind, greatly simplifying visitor management and eliminating the agony of potential lockouts by offering several, flexible options for entry.
Above all, put an end to the worldwide issue of package management. Explain how the new video intercom system can deter package theft by allowing residents to monitor delivery personnel and grant secure, temporary access for drop-offs in the building or provided package room. Some systems have proprietary delivery PINs with major carriers, so packages are securely deposited, which tenants consistently rank highly as making "deliveries much easier now."
Making It Simple: Clear Guides for Intercom Usage
No matter the simplicity with which a new system will operate, clear and easy-to-understand instructions must result in successful implementation by all resident bases. Providing full, user-friendly manuals will get to know residents about the intercom system, reducing frustration and the number of calls for assistance to management. Acknowledge technology skill levels differ and provide several learning styles.
Develop several kinds of instructional materials. This would be followed by brief, step-by-step written instructions for the principal actions like taking an incoming call, talking with a caller, and answering the door through the smartphone app. Well worth noting, create short, interactive video guides that show these principal actions live. Infographics or quick-start cards work well too, especially for those residents who tend to look briefly rather than reading so much text. Offer easy-to-follow step-by-step instructions for downloading the mobile application, which will more often than not be the tenants' home screen.
Make the guides easily accessible to different channels. Place them in plain sight on your resident portal, forward them to all residents, and provide them in hard copy at initial roll-out. Add QR codes to the main entry panel that directs residents directly to the video instructions or electronic guides. Multi-language capabilities, if relevant to your community, will also allow for greater inclusivity and help all residents feel serviced in learning about the new technology.
Your Questions Answered: Intercom Q&A Sessions
Even with the official guidelines, the residents would always have some questions or concerns that are best resolved face-to-face. Conducting live Q&A is a great method of dispelling fear, giving confidence to the new system, and showing property management's dedication to a smooth rollout. This personal touch is only appreciated when implementing technology.
To promote optimal attendance, offer Q&A sessions in different formats, i.e., live sessions in a nearby venue and webinars. Offer sessions at convenient times, i.e., weekends or evenings, to accommodate varying resident schedules. Offer trained staff members, i.e., property managers and maybe an intercom vendor representative, to deliver expert answers and answer recurring questions in real time. Resident advance question submission can also be utilized to tailor the discussion.
During sessions, expect to talk about common problems such as mobile app use, guest access management, privacy issues (e.g., where video data is stored), and what to do in the event of a connectivity failure. Diagram the main advantages and include readable support contact details. After the sessions, compile most of the most frequently asked questions and answers and develop a current, open-access FAQ document that is an authoritative source for all residents in town.
Listening In: Gathering Resident Feedback on Intercom
Onboarding doesn't end when the system goes live but moves into a maintenance and continual improvement phase. Actively soliciting and acting on resident feedback is key to the identification of pain points, troubleshooting unforeseen issues, and long-term satisfaction and utilization of the new video intercom system. Continual improvement demonstrates that property management is interested in what residents have to say and is invested in making their living experience more enjoyable.
Employ several feedback mechanisms to gain a wide range of views. Bitesize online surveys carried out a few weeks after move-in can gauge early satisfaction and identify typical issues. Provide readily available virtual suggestion boxes or an email address for intercom-specific feedback only. Staff residence should also provide space for informal discussion with residents, as useful feedback is gained through informal discussion. Do not neglect to track app store complaints for the intercom's mobile app because these directly flag user experience problems.
After gathering feedback, it is important to review it immediately in order to spot trends and prioritize remediation. This may include collaborating with your intercom provider to fix app bugs, updating instructional documentation to make it clearer, or even revising operational procedures. Above all, close the loop and let the residents know when changes or improvements have been carried out. A simple "You asked, we listened!" remark and explanation of how their feedback led to positive change strengthens trust even further and encourages them to continue calling, making the video intercom system an even greater asset.
Rolling out a new video intercom solution at a residential building isn't a technology issue, it's largely a considerate, resident-centric onboarding process. Through advance notice of the change, transparent communication of the added value, brief instructions to read, one-on-one support via Q&A forums, and active solicitation of feedback, property management can bring residents not only to adhere to, but even adopt, their new smart access solution. This end-to-end solution transforms a standard technological update into a mammoth security, convenience, and lifestyle enhancement, cementing the property's attractiveness in the new millennium housing market.