Between 1996 and 2003, we moved into a walk-up apartment building as managers amidst drug deals, sex for hire, unsavory characters and a high incidence of crime. It took a year, but after changing roadway access, improving curb appeal, increasing police presence, and fostering caring relationships between tenants, the living and working conditions greatly improved. The property and the rental values also increased considerably. That year CBC Radio and the Edmonton Journal publicized my contribution to the valuable transformation of the district and the building itself. The principles behind this success are direct and easily implemented. It starts with a strong vision of how the situation can improve and then managing the property with the improved vision in mind.

One business practice that has worked for me is letting tenants know we value them personally. The principle of community stewardship where tenants know, care and watch out for each other is especially important to foster as it is rapidly becoming counter-culture to know your neighbor. We found initially many tenants were too shy or didn't have the time to reach out in significant ways so we took it upon ourselves to provide ways and means for them to get to know one another. We also put into practice the principle of appreciation toward tenants so that they felt good about their investment and wanted to stay in the warm and caring community we had created.

Buncha Goodiez is a company we have created to assist managers and owners in increasing their understanding and appreciation of the tenant population. We firmly believe that the revival of customer service priorities will greatly enhance business profits, sustainability, and reputation. Due of the nature of tenants, it is easier for them to move than home owners and they are less attached to their dwelling than homeowners. Therefore, it behooves us to foster a greater attachment and satisfaction in order to minimize turnover and vacancy. Furthermore, as many of our tenants are the result of referrals, it makes perfect sense to keep tenant satisfaction at a maximum so they will extol the property amongst their friends and diminish our need for advertising - another potential cost-saving. Part of my business is to consult, assess, and recommend customer service initiatives. We also offer a workshop on customer satisfaction principles and practices.

One of my practices that received the most enthusiasm is the giving of appreciation/welcome packages or "goodiez" to tenants throughout the year. We started making goodiez for tenants at lease renewal and Christmas, and found that the good atmosphere it generated in the building made a significant impact. Gradually our company expanded the occasions on which we gave goodiez to include other special days. The sophistication of the gift was not as important as the thought and care that went into the giving. Realizing that not every owner or manager has the time or motivation to gather materials and put them together in appealing packages, we custom produce these packages at reasonable rates for their benefit. We challenge owners and property managers to get on board with Buncha Goodiez Inc.

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