Okay... I'm stuck on the best way to proceed.
Situation: I have a non-targeted apartment shop with a required phone call to set an appointment.

Step 1: I call and speak the the apartment manager. The manager tells me that she does not have any vacancies and, thus, does not have anything to show. I ask if I can come by and see the property anyway. She said that there is nothing to see as there are no vacancies. I then say that I'd just like to see the property and get a feel for it to see if its something I'd like to wait for. She tells me that she won't do a tour if there are not any vacancies. I say that I happen to be in the area and would really just like to see the place. I ask if she was in the office at all that day. She says that she is only on site for appointments and that there are not regular office hours. However, I am welcome to drop by the property and look around on my own.

Step 2: I contact the scheduler. She tells me to hold tight as she speaks with her boss.

Step 3: (4 days later), I get an email from the scheduler asking why I have not started on the shop - which is now over due. I forward her email telling me to "hold tight" to her and say that I was waiting on her. She tells me that that's really strange and not what the apartment manager is supposed to do. I acknowledge that it is not what usually happens at apartments. That's why I am asking for guidance. She tells me that she'll have to ask the client.

Step 4: I contact the scheduler again to ask if there any updates. She says that she just heard from the client and the client wants me to drop by during scheduled office hours. I remind the scheduler that there are not set office hours. She says to check the website. I do (again). There are not listed office hours. (Literally, underneath the "office hours" heading on a page is blank space - I sent a screen shot of this to the scheduler. ) I also reminder her that the manager had told me that they complex had only 18 units and likely does not have an office at all.

Step 5: The scheduler tells me that the client has told her what she wants done and that I just need to check the office hours online.

Step 6: I again state there are not office hours online...... Waiting to hear back.

So.... Should I just drop by during regular business hours? Do I keep pressing the scheduler? Do I drop the #@?! shop?

If you are in the area anyway, drop by and take a few photos including an office hours sign and submit to close the thing out. Otherwise, leave it in limbo and follow up with the scheduler every few days.

It's about an hour round trip to the location... I'd do it just to get it off my plate. However, I don't there is an office at all...

I wouldn't make the trip without the scheduler authorizing that that was what I needed to do to close out the shop with pay.

That's pretty much what I'm thinking.... I just get the sense that she's becoming annoyed with me..

Step 7: Scheduler says that I should ask the apartment manager what the office hours are.
Step 8: I remind the scheduler that the manager said that office hours are by appointment only and that she would not make an appointment.
Step 9: Scheduler tells me that I should just follow her instructions.
Step 10: I tell the scheduler that the instructions were to drop by during office hours, which is not possible, because there are not any office hours. Moreover, there is likely not an office as it is an 18 unit community. I ask if I should drop by during typical office hours.

AAAARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH.....

One more thing, Back on step four, she told me that if I didn't do this exactly right, the client would reject it and I wouldn't get paid........

At a certain point going round and round with emails is a waste of everybody's time. Ask her to call you or to give you her number so you can call her because, "It would probably be much easier if we just talked."

We've talked on the phone.... I think I may have just found an end-around. I contacted the manager using a gender-neutral name through the online system and directly asked when I could come by.. It's a large enough management company that I am guessing that online contacts are logged and tracked. I got a response and we are slowly setting up an appointment.

Sounds like they want you to visit, but not before making sure you will get paid if you don't view
an apartment. I wouldn't drive an hour without viewing a model, however, maybe there is a video you could watch (if you get paid), you may find out info. about the leasing agent by just going there, otherwise I'd forget about this one. No one seems to know what's going on. Just a couple days ago, I had a Medicare shop targeted and could not get hold of the target. I was just told the client pulled the shop.

I can fill in some shops around it to make it worth my time.... I also now have email documentation of the agreement to the appointment... I'm good now. However, I was frustrated.

Good. I hope it all works out smoothly for you!

MFJ, is this an EPMS shop? It sounds frustrating enough to be.

Were the phone calls you made recorded?

@HonnyBrown wrote:

MFJ, is this an EPMS shop? It sounds frustrating enough to be.

No... It's a different MSC.... I choose not to name them.. I suspect that the scheduler is overworked and really can't afford to spend so much time on a shop. The fact of the matter is that the manager is not doing her job and the client apparently has a reputation for being difficult.

I've had good experiences with EPMS. When I've struggled to reach a target, the schedulers have been very good about working with me, responding quickly, etc.

Wow. That sounds like a rough situation all the way around: overworked scheduler, incompetent manager and difficult client. I'm glad you found your solution through the website contact form.

EPMS is by far my favorite apartment MSC, but when something goes sideways, it goes sideways.

Sounds like you need to video/record for your records.

I had a shop out of town to add on to a video shop I had scheduled. When I got to the apartment community, I decided that by the time I had driven back home 2 hours I would forget what was said. I took out my phone and set the recording. There was nothing to see and the leasing agent even confirmed with the manager that she could not show the apartment. Both the leasing agent and the manager could be heard on my recording.

Weeks later, I got an email from the editor asking me to check my notes because the manager was not in the day of my shop and I was actually shown apartment # such and such, I replied that I had something better than notes, a recording. I got paid and I don't know what happened with the shop. The editor never responded to my questions of "what did they say".

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/18/2016 03:15AM by prettygul1.

Covering one's tracks. The proof is in the pudding.

I actually audio record my visits.... I don't tend to audio record phone calls as the services I've found cost money and I make way too many phone calls for that. However, I did audio record my last couple of attempts to reach this manager. I do have to be careful because I live in a two party consent state.