www.renttoday.us/blog » In the RentToday Office

Customer Service is DEAD….Not!

Mia Melle, Broker for Renttoday.us — Wed, 12 May 2010 23:15:39 +0000

It hasn’t even been a month yet and the newest member of our Renttoday.us family is already creating a buzz! Meet Justin. He is a much appreciated addition to our already stupendous sales team and is currently holding the postion of “sales coordintor” working very closely with some superstars you may already be familiar with….Phat Phan and Jessica Filicko!

And…..he has already received his first and we’re sure it won’t be the last on-line rave review!!! Check it out…

Sender was a: TenantName: H. Schultz Message: I just wanted to make a comment… I have been in contact with your employee Justin. He is amazing !! Very attentive, responds quickly and professional to all my questions and concerns. Justin has been a great resource to me during the move-in process. It made everything so much easier to know that he was there a phone call away and willing to help out !! I always thought Customer service was a dying breed…but Justin proves this false !!!

GO JUSTIN!! GO JUSTIN!! GO JUSTIN!!

So, feel free to try him out…take him for a whirl…give him a call. You need information on our property management services? No problem! Looking for a rental home in Rancho? You got it! Your home just got taken over by Fannie Mae? Justin is your man!!Similar Posts:

A typical day in the not so typical life of a Renttoday.us Leasing Agent!

Mia Melle, Broker for Renttoday.us — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 17:20:40 +0000

Have you ever wondered what it’s like to be a Renttoday.us leasing agent? Our latest video production features our very own Jessica Filicko!! She is a bonafide, real life, full time leasing agent for Renttoday.us and is a huge asset to our property management team. The leasing department is one of the vital functions of the property management process because nothing really goes down unless the home is leased up successfully. The property owners don’t receive rental income, Renttoday.us doesn’t receive commissions or management fees, and without a leased up property we’d all be sitting home, eating bon bons, waiting on our next unemployment check. So, I think we can all agree that it’s extremely, extremely important to have a great, energetic, competent, and efficient leasing department behind every property you own and Renttoday.us has one of the best anywhere!

Jess is on the road every single day and we keep her out and about as much as humanly possible! She travels from Ontario, to Los Angeles, to High Desert, to San Diego and everywhere in between….Fontana, Rancho Cucamonga….Tustin, Irvine….Pomona, Diamond Bar….Norwalk, Long Beach….Victorville, Apple Valley….Brea, Fullerton…and she does it all with her Fastrak, a GPS, and a smile…what more can you ask for? And we got her wired up, too! Just because she’s on the road, doesn’t mean she’s out of reach by any means. Jessica keeps an eye on all that’s going on in the office by using the latest tech tools we can get our hands on. She uses her awesome Dell laptop and AT&T air card to log into our Renttoday.us custom tenant portal and see what new applications have come in, she checks her Blackberry to keep up with emails and she’s got the blue tooth for phone calls….not to mention the can’t do without GPS system which takes her anywhere she needs to go located right inside her brand new Toyota Corrolla company car affixed with our signature Renttoday.us logos so you know she’s legit. When Jessica pulls up to a property, looking official and professional, lease in hand….our applicants know we’re there to close a deal and that’s usually what happens. This girl can lease anything and she’s had some doozies thrown at her, believe you me!! She’s leased properties with holes in the wall, 5 different colors in the bedrooms, fresh out of eviction…you name it…she’s had to show it! Ideally, we’d love to show model homes all day long but often times our owners give us rental properties that are less than desirable and a real challenge to get someone to decide that will be their home sweet home for the next 12 months or so but with the right price, the right marketing, and a leasing agent with a great attitude we can get a difficult job done like it’s a piece of cake. Making difficult things look easy is our job and we continually accomplish this task each and every day.

So, check out the new video and get to know the girl behind the lease! Want to speak with her? She’s a real live person and is available anytime for a one on one if you’d like. The purpose of making these cool videos for our clients and prospective clients is so that we can be as transparent as possible, so you can get to know us a little better, and so we can let you know that we are real people, working hard every single day to get the job done FOR YOU!! Now grab some popcorn and Enjoy….

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Meet Damien. Entrepreneur, CEO, and all around good guy.

RT Admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 18:45:43 +0000

Damien Melle - Fearless leader of WCPS, Inc.

Do you ever call the offices of Renttoday.us and wonder “who the heck is running this place”? (in a good way, of course) No? Oh, well then this is in anticipation of that great question that you didn’t even know was burning inside of your brain.

Meet Damien Melle. Damien is the CEO of West Coast Property Specialists, Inc. which is the parent company of Renttoday.us, the residential property management division and on-line rental portal we have all come to know and love.

Oh, you didn’t know we did other things than property management? Well, we do! Let me just take a moment to essplain (as Ricky Ricardo would say).

West Coast Property Specialists, Inc. or “WCPS” as we call it is the official corporation name and what we refer to as the “parent company” from which all other divisions stem….it’s the trunk of the tree, the base, the foundation….you get the picture. Within WCPS, Inc. there are divisions which branch off such as “Renttoday.us” who as we know handles the property management duties, “Fixd Construction” which handles all of the repair, maintenance, and rehab for the property management portfolio, and our newest division “Bale Investements, Inc.” which was designed to cater to large portfolio real estate investors and financial institutions in the bulk transfer and sale of properties. Fascinating, isn’t it? If you have never visited our corporate site, please take a moment to check it out at www.wcpsinc.com.

Ok, so now that we are clear on the corporate logistics let’s get back to Damien Melle. As I mentioned like 3 seconds ago…Damien is the CEO of the whole deal and coincidentally he is also one of the founders! And basically, he is responsible for pretty much everything around here in one way or another and at this point in his career he is involved in all the day to day operations of each of the divisions (whether he likes it or not). Damien makes it a point to meet with each department of the Renttoday staff twice a week to discuss goals, customer service, and any recent issues that have come up and also works extremely close with Fixd Construction on day to day issues and growing that portion of the company. One of Damien’s passions is technology and he devotes a large amount of his time working with our developers and business partners in the design of the upcoming internal computer management systems and website. It’s an enormous task that has been going on for over a year now and one that will probably continue to grow and evolve throughout the life of the company. Damien is instrumental in creating and overseeing all of the technology that happens throughout the companies.

Damien took the time to sit down and answer a few questions for us…some of the questions are serious and some a bit silly, we like to shake it up around here! In any case, let’s take a look inside the mind of a guy whose brain never stops thinking:

Ok, so in a few words….who are you?

I’m definitely an entrepreneur first and foremost because no matter what industry I happen to be doing whether it’s property management or making candles (which I used to do), business is business and creating and implementing new ideas is the same throughout any industry. And on a personal level, I’m a Dad of both a teenage girl (Bianca, 16) (God help me) and a 5 year old boy, Elijah 5 (God help me there, too!) and a husband to Mia Melle (God really help me…just kidding!) who I work with side by side every single day and have been for the last 13 years! I’m also a guy who loves cars and am currently trying to find some time to rebuild a Volkswagen bug I’ve had sitting in my garage for the last 3 years. There’ s more but I’m trying not to bore you.

What makes you tick?

I am completely fascinated with the business world. The idea that someone can create a service or product for the masses is exciting. Life is short, but creating something that is bigger than yourself that could potentially live on for generations to come and effect thousands if not millions of people in a positive way is motivating.

Do you know the difference between “ketchup” and “catsup”?

Ketchup is what you put on your fries. Catsup is what Mr Waylon Smither’s grocer had Mr. Charles Montgomery Burns committed over in episode 4F17 of the Simpsons, originally aired April 20, 1997 (I’m a big Simpsons fan)

Name one thing you MUST accomplish this year:

Move our offices to a new, better location!

Who do you admire most in the business world right now?

You know what, I really don’t know the answer to that. There are a lot of people whose careers I follow but admire is maybe a strong word.

If money was no object, what car would you drive?

That’s easy….a Ferrari!

What are you reading?

Well besides the Wall Street Journal every morning, Fast Company, Business Week, and a host of other similar magazines on a regular basis. I have read “Four Seasons, the Story of a Business Philosophy” and “Good to Great”, most recently.

What is one piece of advice you can give to property owners today?

Simple! Owning a rental property is exactly like owning a restaurant, providing a quality product with exceptional service will lead to a successful business / investment. Your tenant is your client, insuring they are delivered a clean, quality rental will result in better quality tenants. This statement is often confused with thinking this means your home should have granite countertops and plush carpet. Not all properties are the same but can still strive for quality just as not all restaurants are the same. When you eat at Red Lobster you expect good service and good tasting food, but just because the waiter does not stand by waiting to refill your glass after every sip or sweeps your table cloth down before desert does not mean it was not quality. Quality and service differs based on price range, but should always be present to alert the client you appreciate their business and seek a long lasting relationship.

Do you have a crystal ball? Where do you see our economy in 5 years?

The economy is a very large engine that runs on a global scale, which can make it hard for even the sharpest Harvard grads to understand. 50 years ago it might have been much easier to predict economic growth or shrinkage based on local and national issues. But today, with electronic trading of currency, commodities, stocks, and bonds on a global level virtually nonstop day and night, it makes predictions almost impossible! At the current moment China, who has one of the fastest growing middle class economies in the world, only to be compared with India is now starting to suffer economic slowdown and bank lending policy changes just as the USA did 2 years ago. Japan’s economy is suffering massive deflation and lagging productivity. All this might seem out of sight for the average Joe but a quick reality check will bring to focus that more than 60% – 70% of all our products bought and sold in the USA are from foreign countries. China and Japan are two of the largest debt holders of American Government issued Bonds and many American companies rely heavily on these markets to support their home base operations. GM is a case in point. GM which is now 78% (+/-) owned by the American tax payers and continues to suffer lagging sales and losing ground to Kia, Hyundai, Honda, and Toyota (may not after their massive recall) but, they continued to be propped up by growing sales in China and India. As those markets begin to feel the financial stress what will this mean for more US jobs? Many things can happen between now and five years but I always suggest to our client to make conservative bets, spend wisely, and assume this is our new economy so adjust accordingly.

Fascinating stuff, Damien! I’m sure we’ll here more from you on our blog as the year continues and we look forward to updates on the new computer systems you are working on and how our clients will benefit from your efforts. Thanks for being a dedicated and inspirational leader and HAPPY FRIDAY to all of our followers!Similar Posts:

More Compliments for the RentToday crew!

RT Admin — Tue, 29 Dec 2009 17:00:47 +0000

We manage lots of rental property in Rancho Cucamonga! Recently, this email was sent in from one of our thoughtful tenants!

The email went:

>”The repairman, Robert did a fantastic job on all the items on the list. I would like to request that he is the one that installs the dishwasher when it arrives. We found a couple more things and will submit a request for repairs and would like Robert to fix those items as well. He is a very knowledgeable guy and a very hard worker..He’s a keeper! “

Mary L., Rancho Cucamonga

Nicely done Robert! When you are in the property management biz, being able to provide excellent customer service not only to our owners, but to our tenants is extremely important. We are always interested in how our service techs perform out in the field while making routine maintenance calls out at your rental properties. We are always so pleased when a tenant will take the time to send a good review and let us know how we did.Similar Posts:

Follow RentToday.us

RT Admin — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 14:00:22 +0000

You’ve seen these icons all over the place, most prominently at the top of the blog here at RentToday.us. But what do those icons mean? Don’t worry, you’re friendly neighborhood blog master is here to help. Renttoday.us is one of the only property management companies that actively uses social media to connect, communicate, and educate their owners and tenants. This is just one way we can illustrate our tech savvy ability and desire to be completely transparent as a company. If you are not familiar with these applications, not to worry! Give us a call and we will be happy to walk you through signing up for any one of these great tools and they are all FREE! Sorry if the icons appar a little cooky…I’m working on it!

This one takes you to our Facebook page. If you are on Facebook, check it out and become a fan and invite your other FB friends to become a fan, too! All the cool property owners are Renttoday.us fans on FB.
This one will take you to our Twitter page. Twitter is a service that allows you to post your thoughts, 140 characters at a time. This is a great place to follow along since we post everything here. You can even ask us a quick question, give us feedback, or just say anything you want to us here! Follow us and we’ll follow you back!! (that’s kinda how it works) Make sure you elect to get our updates on your smart phone so you can stay up to the minute

The subscription feed. Those of you that know what this is already use it more than likely. For the rest, watch for a full primer on subscribing via RSS to follow in January.

Just like you, RentToday plays on the internet. Follow along at any of the above places to keep up with everything RentToday.us is doing for the rest of ‘09 and into the new year.Similar Posts:

History of The RentToday Bell

RT Admin — Fri, 11 Dec 2009 14:00:30 +0000

You might have been seeing some talk about bell ringing from @RentToday on Twitter lately. You might also be wondering what all this bell talk is about.

We have The Bell hanging in our office for a number of reasons. It’s rung to gather the troops for the morning meeting. We also ring it when there is a chance of attack by pirates. And, anytime anyone wins the lotto, the bell gets rung.

But, the main reason we ring the bell is to signify bringing a new customer on board! A new tenant renting a home or a new owner that has decided to let RentToday manage their property. It’s a pretty big deal to ring the bell to say the least and whenever Phat or Jess do ring it, the entire office erupts in applause!

You too can help ring the bell. If you are looking for your next home, start your search here. If you are looking to have us manage your properties, you can get started today here.

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RentToday Helping Out

RT Admin — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 18:00:24 +0000

Our very own Mia Melle (@MiaMelle) is out lending a helping hand at the Pomona First Baptist Church today from 9:00 AM until 2:00 PM. If you see her there, be sure to let her know you read about it on the blog!Similar Posts:

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Apparently….people love Renttoday! An authentic review from a new tenant :-) (we eat these up!)

RT Admin — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 14:00:24 +0000

RentToday has been in the business of helping people rent their homes, and rent their next home since 2000. It’s letters like this that remind us why we are in the property management business.

>This email is from Sheree Holden. I came into the RentToday corporate office on Tuesday, December 1st as I had been promising you I would,and brought the security deposit to secure my new home. I’ve been really busy non-stop in my office for the past couple of days, and I’ve been really bummed out because I haven’t had an opportunity to talk with you since then.

>I just want to make sure I take the time to stop and say thank you. I went on the renttoday website to view my property and it was no longer listed on the Renttoday website. I felt so happy because the reality that this is “my place” set in for me. At that moment, I felt a mix between happiness and relief to know that the agency (renttoday) that I have partnered with is an upstanding company and they do what they say they will do. I brought in the deposit and your office secured my place as promised to me…a match made in heaven.

>Thank you so much for everything. I know that along with my prayers, you were the one that was helping me to get approved for my new home. I feel so happy, grateful, and blessed, that I had you on my side — rooting for me, being patient with me, and wanting to see things work for me and my little girl. I feel very fortunate that I met you and that you were in charge of the property on Coulston Street. I couldn’t have met a more nice, kind, and cheerful “landlord” than you.Thank you Mrs. Jessica. Thank you so much.

If you are a tenant looking for a place to call home, start your search now! Are you a home owner and interested in how RentToday.us can help you with your property management needs? We’ve got you covered too!Similar Posts: