Customer Service Challenges: A Case Study Review of the New Zealand Property Management Sector

Abstract

This research examines the key challenges to delivering sufficient customer service, factors that influence service quality and customer satisfaction to tenants in the New Zealand rental market. This research reviewed data collected by Consumer New Zealand from its nationwide survey of 1062 tenants renting properties in New Zealand and found that property owners (landlords) provide better services than property service managers, bad communication between tenants and landlords or property service managers led to breaching of tenants' rights, and often tenants were unable to demand for their rights due to lack of tenure security. This research opines that adopting consumer-oriented business tactics would successfully solve the challenges between property service managers and customers (tenants and landlords). To enhance quality customer service and customer satisfaction, this research recommends that property service management organisations and property service managers conduct in-depth SERVQUAL style surveys among their customers, that using a balanced Scorecard approach would help set goals, focus on customer needs and related internal processes, and measure progress according to customer service improvement needs.