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Evaluating customer support deserves as much attention as evaluating features when you choose property management software. A platform with the right functionality still falls short if your team cannot get help when something breaks, and adoption stalls when people cannot find answers on their own.
Support has to work at two levels: for the property managers and staff who use the software every day, and for the residents who use it as end users. A vendor that serves both levels well can lift adoption and make management more effective.
Use the checklist below to compare vendors across four areas: responsive support, the help site, multimedia resources, and the knowledge base. The goal is a partner that meets your technical needs and also gives your team the help to use the software fully.
Key takeaways
- Customer support has to work at two levels, for the staff who run the software and for the residents who use it, and strong support at both levels can lift adoption.
- Judge responsive support on availability across time zones, communication channels, response time, and the technical skill of the support team.
- A useful help site is easy to browse, includes FAQs and troubleshooting guides, and keeps a status page for outages and planned maintenance.
- Videos, written guides, and screen sharing let people learn in the format that suits them.
- A good knowledge base covers basic to advanced topics, is well organized, and is updated regularly.
- Ask each vendor for its response-time targets in writing so you can compare them.
Responsive Customer Support
Start with how quickly and how well the vendor answers when something goes wrong. Ask these four questions.
- Availability: Is support available across time zones, including after hours? This matters most if you manage properties in more than one location.
- Communication channels: Which channels does the vendor offer, such as phone and email? More than one channel keeps help within reach.
- Response time: How fast does the support team respond to queries? Fast responses matter for urgent operational issues, so ask the vendor for its response-time targets in writing.
- Quality of assistance: Are support staff technically skilled and knowledgeable about property management? Expert help resolves problems faster.
Responsive support gives your team immediate access to help when problems come up. With good support, communities can keep downtime to a minimum, limit disruptions to daily operations, and keep residents satisfied.
BuildingLink, for example, offers support by phone and email, including a Spanish-language phone line, a dedicated phone line for Australia and Asia Pacific, and email support in Spanish and French. Remote training sessions are available on request, both for new employees and as refreshers.
Help Site
The help site is where your staff look first, so check what it offers before you sign.
- User-friendly interface: Is the help site easy for all users to browse? An intuitive layout makes answers easier to find.
- FAQ and troubleshooting: Does the site include FAQs or troubleshooting guides? They help users find answers to common questions quickly, even when live support is unavailable.
- Site status: Does the vendor keep a status page? A status page gives real-time updates on ongoing issues, planned maintenance, and recent outages.
A useful help site gives property managers one place to find answers. FAQs, troubleshooting tips, and a knowledge base (see the final section) put the resources your team needs within immediate reach and build confidence in the software.
Multimedia Resources
Does the vendor offer a mix of resources, such as videos, written guides, and screen sharing? Different formats suit different learning styles, so a variety of formats makes support materials easier to use and understand for more people.
BuildingLink's help site, for example, includes recorded webinars on product updates and on keeping modules such as employees, the property directory, and maintenance requests up to date.
Knowledge Base
A knowledge base is the first place most users go for an answer. Evaluate it on three points.
- Breadth: Does the knowledge base cover topics from basic to advanced? Broad coverage makes it a more useful self-help tool.
- Accessibility: Is the knowledge base well organized and easy to browse? Easy access to information saves time.
- Regular updates: Does the vendor update articles to reflect new features and common questions? Outdated resources cause confusion and misinformation. Keeping them current takes real time and effort, which shows how seriously the vendor takes customer service.
A knowledge base gives users instant answers on a wide range of topics. When users can solve issues on their own, they learn the software better and use more of its features.
BuildingLink, for example, runs separate help sites for staff and for residents, so each group finds guidance written for its own role.
Frequently Asked Questions
What should I check when evaluating a software vendor's customer support?
Check four areas: responsive support (availability, channels, response time, and quality of assistance), the help site, multimedia resources, and the knowledge base.
Which questions should I ask about support response time?
Ask how fast the support team responds to queries, because quick responses matter for urgent operational issues. Ask the vendor for its response-time targets in writing so you can compare vendors.
What should a software help site include?
An intuitive layout that is easy to browse, FAQs and troubleshooting guides for common questions, and a status page that reports ongoing issues, planned maintenance, and recent outages.
What makes a knowledge base useful?
It covers topics from basic to advanced, is well organized and easy to browse, and is updated regularly so the guidance reflects new features and common questions.
