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August 25, 2006
Rob from the poor and give to the...
Happy 200th post! Go me!
This must be my bad year for customer service. I think I find it more frustrating to have a bad experience(s) now because most of my job is working with folks of various levels, from clerks to VPs to vendors, and helping each of them the best I can. My department often gets compliments for their genuine desire to do their jobs well and serve their customers. So when I reach clueless customer service folks, people who could care less about whether they've actually helped me, let alone done the right thing, or just downright refuse to respond (like my condo management company), it perturbs, annoys, or in Sprint PCS's case, makes me downright angry.
I'll get to Sprint in a minute, because I'm actually going to file a BBB complaint against them for a dangerous security policy, and need to work myself up into an appropriate lather.
Having listened to G and read about many condo associations, property associations, and condo management companies, it is obvious a good deal, maybe even most, are horrible. It seems mine is no different. I am sure some of you will think 'what's the big deal?' but my condo management company compounded their initial, and probably minor, screwup by refusing to respond to any request of mine for information.
So when I bought my condo, I picked what I thought was a great unit. It is always 10 degrees cooler in the summer than most of my neighbors due to great shading (a big deal in TN), it's a corner unit so I only have two neighbors (the weird Karaoke neighbors for those who have heard me babble on about them; the other unit behind me is currently vacant). It has a good view of the pool, has a nice little stream (when there is actually water running through it, which only happens about 1/4 of the year), and the trash dumpster was very close, about 20 yards from my front door.
Well, about 5 months ago I was going to take my trash out and noticed my dumpster was gone. Huh. That's odd. I thought maybe the trash company was replacing it or something. I ended up walking almost 200 yards to the next closest dumpster. In the middle of summer, it's quite a hike in 95 degree heat carrying two 40-lb trash bags. I have a feeling it won't be any better in the middle of winter.
So when I sent my next association payment (two actually, as I double up so I only write them a check every 2 months), I dropped them this note:
Robin Hood Condominiums
Jim Curley Properties
177 Belle Forest Circle
Nashville, TN 37221
May 30, 2006Ma’am/Sir,
Could you please send me a key for the laundry room? Neither of the two sets I have works for the new lock.
Also, could you drop me a note to explain the movement of the dumpster from near my building? I (and all the units around me) have to walk nearly a quarter mile there and back to the next closest dumpster.
Thank you!
Toby Truman
A week passed, then two, and by the time it hit a month I figured I wouldn't get a response. Even if they didn't want to send me a note, they definitely should have sent me a key, which they didn't. Initially I thought it may have been possible they didn't receive my note, but they cashed my check, so that isn't what happened.
Two months later I was writing out another check for this company which now provides me less service than I had when I moved in. I included a more detailed note:
Robin Hood Condominiums
Jim Curley Properties
177 Belle Forest Circle
Nashville, TN 37221
07/28/06
2nd Request for ReplyMa’am/Sir,
Attached is a copy of a note I sent two months ago; I have not yet received a reply. If there is a different address I should send correspondence, please let me know so I can re-route if necessary.
If this is the correct address, I hope someone will reply to my concerns.
I have a severe case of tendonitis/arthritis that makes it difficult for me to carry bags of trash long distances. The two trash dumpsters where I am required to walk to now are more than twice the distance away from where my original dumpster was for over a year. Would it be possible to move one of those back to the position of my original dumpster? That would make it much more convenient to anyone who lives in my building. (Building 2)
If this is not possible, I would appreciate an explanation letting me know why our original dumpster was moved and why no correspondence was sent out letting owners know it was occurring.
Thank you!
Toby L. Truman
Robin Hood Condominiums
Well, it's been almost a month since they cashed that check, and again no response to my concerns. It's not even like I expect them to move the dumpster back (even though the building deepest into our complex now has two dumpsters and two, maybe three buildings now have no dumpster at all.) I do, however, expect a response from someone I pay every month. We even pay more than most condos in our town do, ($139 monthly; my friend AKBar, who lives in an infinitely nicer neighborhood with more amenities one town over pays $99.) so the least I would expect is to maintain the standard of living I had when I moved in.
I did a quick web search of the condo management company, Jim Curley Properties, and they only have 6 Google hits for an exact match when I last checked, so this post will be very visible if anyone decides to research them. I'm not sure if I can file a BBB complain (or if one is applicable), but if I can, I will. It seems JCP handles one of the swankier condo neighborhoods in Nashville also, so maybe that's why we get so little service.
In any case, my next step will be to email them a note at the one email address I could find and see if they will reply to me from there.
It's funny, I used to get irritated at my previous condo management group for their little newsletters, which was downright degrading to some of the folks living on the property (usually the non-payer's of fees). The one thing I can say though, is I at least knew what was going on, what the balance sheet looked like, and any news. This new company appears to be getting the same amount of my money for far less service.
Posted by TLorin at August 25, 2006 8:44 AM
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Comments
I'm still concerned about the key to the laundry. So did you get a key or have you just got two months of dirty laundry? I'm also wondering if contacting the sanitation company would be an idea...Goodluck.
Posted by: Lillian at August 26, 2006 8:18 AM
Well, I actually found they had reverted locks to a previous set. I found another set after the first two didn't work, and it worked! Yay!
I hadn't thought about contacting the sanitation company, I might have to try that! Danke!
Posted by: TLorin at August 29, 2006 9:32 AM
Why didn't you attend a monthly Board Meeting or ask your Board of Directors why? They direct the property managmeent company. You are not paying Jim Curley, you're paying your Homeowners Association.
...A fellow Nashville Condo owner.
Posted by: JB at September 1, 2006 3:19 PM
Well, my checks go to Jim Curley Properties, and I am guessing they schedule all of the property services including trash removal, although you're right, they are directed by the Homeowners Association.
And yes, I probably should attend the board meetings, but they typically fall on bad nights for me. However, I don't receive regular notices as to when they occur and anything that has been discussed. The last property management group sent out regular updates on items of interest, and perhaps I might go about seeing if I can resurrect that practice.
From my perspective, all of those things being true, Jim Curley or his staff should have responded to my inquiries with the same answers you just gave instead of cashing my checks and discarding my correspondence.
Thanks for dropping by!
Posted by: TLorin at September 1, 2006 5:53 PM
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