6 Ways to Appease Parents of College Students

By Victoria Robertson on November 8, 2017

It’s very common for renters to have to field questions from concerned parents. In fact, it’s going to be a large part of your job. For many, this is the first time their son/daughter is living on their own, and with that comes a certain level of concern.

So how can you best appease these parents and assure them that their students are in good hands? Look no further: your answers are all here.

Here are six ways to appease parents of college students.

1. Be responsive

Easily the most important item on this list, it’s your number one responsibility to be there for these parents. You don’t want to avoid their questions, but rather field them as they come in, being responsive and quick to respond as well.

Most parents will find this comforting, as it not only gets them fast answers but assures them that their students are going to be getting this same, immediate attention. The more responsive you’re able to be (within reason), the more likely you are to assure the parents.

2. Be understanding

It’s very easy to get frustrated, especially when you’re dealing with pushier parents. That being said, you have to maintain professionalism and remind yourself that these are concerned parents that are just looking for answers.

Put yourself in their shoes. How would you feel if you were in their place? What would you want to know? How would you want a renter to behave? Make sure you’re considering their point of view and utilizing this to help you be the best resource for these parents and their students.

3. Provide an outline

This is not something that many renters do, but it’s going to answer many questions parents have before they even need to ask them. Sit down with the student and the parent and outline what a typical renter’s agreement looks like. Walk them through everything.

The more detailed you’re able to be, the less likely they are to bombard you with questions at all hours of the night. Make sure you’re giving parents some form of baseline so they know what to expect and you can put them at ease, even just for a little while.

4. Be receptive

Being receptive to feedback is yet another very important aspect of your position. If you have a parent that’s providing constructive criticism, take it. It’ll only help you to conduct your business better in the future. You should be using every situation as a learning experience, and continue to refine your methods to best suit your clientele.

For this reason, you should always be receptive to these parents and their feedback/questions, as they are truly going to help you more than they will hurt you. Again, you can always learn a little more, and this is the best way to accomplish that.

5. Be professional

Again, it’s very easy to become frustrated when dealing with a difficult parent. The motto of the customer service industry is the customer is always right, and that mentality should apply here as well (again, within reason).

While you do need to establish some sort of boundaries, maintaining a professional demeanor when working with these parents and answering their questions is essential. Don’t fall victim to your frustration!

6. Be honest

Honesty is always the best policy, and that’s true in this situation as well. In fact, the more honest you’re able to be, the better off you’re going to be. Set up your students and parents for a situation in which there is complete transparency. If you lie, you’re more than likely going to be caught and lose a customer in the process.

So don’t do it. Be as honest as possible, even if it’s not exactly the answer you think they’ll want to hear. The more honest you are, the more likely they are to believe you, and thus the more likely they are to feel comfortable leaving their children in your residencies.

Again, it comes down to how you would like to be treated, and everyone prefers honesty. So provide that here and you’re likely going to have more parents that are comfortable in this situation.

Dealing with college students is one thing, but dealing with their overly concerned parents is another entirely. In fact, as a renter, it can be one of the more stressful parts of your job. Therefore, appeasing these concerned parents should actually be at the top of your priority list.

For this reason, these six tips will help you to avoid these stresses while simultaneously appeasing concerned parents. It comes down to the fact that you’re housing their children, and it’s your responsibility to not only make them feel at home but to make their parents feel at ease.

Follow these six tips, and you won’t have a problem doing just that.

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