Maintenance

from August 2022 | News & Events Magazine

by Greater Nashville Apartment Association

Management Course Certified Apartment Manager

Virtual Reality

The Future of Maintenance Training

by Office Staff, Resources from Interplay and PixoVR

The multi-family industry is currently struggling with what the National Apartment Association calls “The Great Resignation: People’s post-pandemic priorities have shifted and their current jobs just aren’t cutting it anymore.” According to NAA, the average onsite turnover in our industry is 40%, so 4 out 10 of your service team members are new, yearly. This means there will be a 19% increase of open maintenance technician roles by 2030. Therefore, the multifamily industry has turned to e-learning as an essential component in training. For management companies and their maintenance teams, virtual reality training programs have become the new training tool of the future. The pandemic created a hiring crisis where the need for skilled workers far outpaces the pool of qualified candidates. Simply, management companies and apartment communities are left hiring inexperienced workers who need training and training fast! With the skills gap widening, virtual reality training programs are here to offer a quick solution. Most of the industry’s maintenance workers learn from hands-

on experience. They wait for a problem to present itself and usually by trial and error fix it, costing time and money. Virtual training “Users who train with VR training actually creates immersive have 90% higher recall of the three-dimensional environments information presented compared to where maintenance technicians 78% with computer-based training.” can test their new skills without consequence to themselves, –university of maryland tenants, instructors, or equipment. It offers a safety net for the one thing every human does: Make mistakes. Imagine testing a heating element on a dryer or a pump on a water line and not having to worry about setting the apartment building on fire or flooding. According to PIXOVR statistics, VR programs have an 80% improvement rate in user learning retention, 70% greater efficiency in movement and measurements, and trainees have 2.75 times more confidence in taking action on what they have learned. They can also practice crisis management skills outside of high-stress situations. Many multifamily virtual reality programs offer training in HVAC, plumbing, and electrical at the levels of beginner, immediate, and advanced.

be listed in all the right places yet throwing away 50 percent of their advertising spend and attributing a poor ROI to their efforts, when in fact a star rating below a four, inconsistent responses to reviews, and a lack of generating new reviews becomes the major impact to the property’s cost-per-lead and cost-per-lease.

However, if the renter likes what they see in the Interest Stage, he or she moves on to the third stage of the journey, the “Consideration Stage.” Renters are now ready to reach out directly to a community via the property’s website, phone, e-mail, text, and online chat, but only when it is convenient for them, not the property. Fifty-one percent of customers want businesses to be available 24/7, which is one of the reasons 40 percent of calls go unanswered onsite. Since this is the stage where conversion happens, the biggest challenge becomes the cost to hire an additional leasing agent to answer calls and emails after hours, during holidays, or when the onsite team is busy.

Once contact with the onsite team is made, a tour conducted, and questions answered, the renter will have gathered enough information to make a leasing decision. It is important to remember that the decision was made after multiple touchpoints over many weeks, because each step fits perfectly with the next.

Management companies have more opportunities than ever before to take action and evolve with today’s renter along his or her journey.