What would you do?

You are an assistant property manager in a busy suburban office. Although your duties relate mostly to the daily operation of the rent roll, you are often required to work in other areas, including the front counter. Today is one of those times where your assistance is needed at reception.

The office is packed and several people have been waiting for quite some time. People's patience is being stretched and one irritated customer has an appointment with a salesperson who has kept her waiting for 25 minutes. You use all of your interpersonal skills to calm the customer and address her annoyance.

Another person in the queue is a landlord who has bought another investment property. He wants this property to be managed by the property manager, your immediate boss. However she is out conducting an inspection. It's all up to you! You step up to the plate again and draw on your communication skills to capably assist the landlord.

The day rolls on and the telephone hasn't stopped ringing all morning. It appears that there is no one else prepared to pick it up. You are in the middle of a conversation with a person making a rental enquiry over the counter. You decide to pick up the phone only to find that it is a tenant who is very agitated, telling you that his hot water service, located in the ceiling of the property, has just broken down and is leaking. Undaunted, you take action to assist.

Like most of your days, this is a busy one and yet another hour passes when an angry purchaser enters the office wanting to see the manager. You just can't get a break because now the manager is out on a stock run and you're 'it' to handle this. It appears that this purchaser has been negotiating to purchase one of the agency's listings, only to find out that they have been gazumped after spending money on building and pest inspections. This is one unhappy and upset customer and he wants some answers now!


Offer solutions as to how you would have handled these situations effectively.

Suggest how the situations may have been avoided.

Nice activity. I'll go to your manager to to give him the solutions. I want your job!