Carin’s Corner: Big Rewards Can Come from Professional, Personal Involvment
By Carin Rosengren, Keller Property Management
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get a happy little thrill when someone calls our office because of something they read in the association newsletter, or in a notice from property management. This caller cared enough to open the mail. Then they bothered to read it. And further, they were motivated to pick up the phone to ask a question, or to give their two cents, or to disagree completely with everything they read and to give me a piece of their mind. Here’s where the thrill comes for me, because now, we have involvement. “Got you right where I wanted,” I think. “You’re on my radar now because you’re a Homeowner Who Cares.” Homeowners who have not volunteered before, or not been to a board meeting before, might not understand this yet, but being a Homeowner Who Cares is the main requirement to serve on the board. Everything else about it can be learned. The kind of person who calls after reading the newsletter is the kind I like to see get involved. Call me about a communication you read from the association, and I promise, the next time I see you, the next time I speak to you on the phone, and definitely before the next annual meeting, you can expect me to try to wheedle you into taking your involvement a step further. You may expect a question or two from me, primarily, “How about joining the Board?” Vision Award Winner Justin Moe, owner of All Ways Drains, Ltd., is familiar with the Homeowner Who Cares. A drains specialist in the multi-housing industry, he has the opportunity to meet a couple dozen on any given job, making him uniquely qualified to comment on the challenges and the rewards of serving the Homeowner Who Cares. In his experience, Moe says, homeowners will care more deeply about thier homes than even major troubles they might have at the office or another place they spend time. But as invested as the homeowners are, they still
sometimes hesitate to get involved, from minor actions like attending a meeting or going all the way to joining the board and taking a leadership role, with myriad ways to take part in between. Joining CAI-MN is one way that Moe stays involved. “It makes all the difference,” Moe says. “How many other places can you go to where they have all these property managers, all these homeowners?”
him for many years, eventually Moe went into business on his own, starting All Ways Drains. But he has not strayed from the qualities that made his father successful. “We’ve tried to run the business like you would expect from a family business – old-time quality that shows you care, and a willingness to work 24 hours a day.”
In May, Moe received CAI-MN’s award for Business Partner Excellence in Service, a sure sign that he not only knows the drain business as well as anyone, but he knows how to work with the Homeowner Who Cares. I asked him what he thinks contributes to the success of All Ways Drains as they cater to this group.
Along with a great staff that shares his ideals, Moe is happy to be serving the Homeowner Who Cares, and their successful business shows that they know how to treat people right. Joining CAI about seven years ago, he also can tout the benefits of involvement on a professional level. He added, “I really enjoy CAI. I enjoy the people. It’s really one of the better organizations.”
“It takes the ability to communicate with people in every walk of life,” he says. “You have to treat them all with respect.” He learned these skills from his father, an independent contractor who also worked with homeowners. After working with
It is also one of the few places you can find recognition for property managers and vendors who tirelessly strive to serve the Homeowner Who Cares. “There are not a lot of drain-cleaning awards out there,” Moe jokes. “They are few and far between.”
Vision Award Winner Justin Moe, owner of All Ways Drains, Ltd. September | October 2013
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