While it’s important to be apologetic and solution-focused, it’s also important to stand your ground based on the association’s policies, board directives, culture and values. When Parent shared the National Association of REALTORS®’ Pride Month graphic on social media a few years ago, his staff and his board president received member complaints and criticism via social media and phone calls.
“Our association supports members and consumers who are part of the LGBTQ+ community,” Parent says. “Members get their personal beliefs caught up in this, but here’s the thing: If you see something on social media that you don’t like, you don’t have to comment—you can just move on.” So, who should respond to complaints and criticism? Most AEs would agree that it depends on the situation.
Bo Patten, RCE, CEO of Williamson County Association of REALTORS® in Brentwood, Tenn., says his association’s response depends on the nature of the complaint.
“If it’s a staff issue, I handle it—I go to the staff first, and I also contact the member to get both sides of the story,” Patten says. “If it’s an overall association-related issue, I like to bring in my leadership … the ones who are passionate about the association, speak well on our behalf, and fully understand our mission, vision and strategic plan.”
Patten emphasizes the effectiveness of a phone call. “The personal touch—either a call from me or from our leadership—gets much more mileage,” he says. “Sometimes, people just want to be heard. For example, one of my members recently complained about a staff member, and when I called [the member], it turned out that she was just having a hard time personally. I spent 20 minutes on the phone with her, making sure she was heard.”
Danielle Jacob, RCE, membership director for the Howard County Association of REALTORS® in Columbia, Md., agrees with Patten, adding that it’s important to ensure members’ needs are met, even when they have a complaint.
“Whenever we close the office due to inclement weather, for example, we’ll sometimes receive a bit of criticism from a few members, typically via email,” Jacob says. “We always respond to thank them for their email and ask if there is anything we can assist with. Can we address any issues for them? Most of the time, their complaint is based on their personal thoughts regarding weather predictions being wrong, road conditions and an employee’s ability to drive to work, or even perceived laziness. But at the end of the day, we are available by phone, email or virtual Zoom, meeting our members’ business needs while also ensuring the safety of both staff and members, which is always our goal in the event of a closure.”
Train Your Staff and Leadership
Anyone who works or volunteers for the association should be trained well ahead of time on how to respond or whom to notify should they come across member criticism.
Staff members, White says, should not only be trained in customer service but also operate in a culture of collaboration between themselves and members.
“At the end of the day, it really does boil down to the staff experience and ensuring there is no culture of negativity toward the members,” she says. “We must overcome any ‘us versus them’ mindset, because our relationship with the members is not supposed to be adversarial—we are intended to collaborate and treat each other with a mutual respect.”
Nicole Fountain, AE for Dan River Region Association of REALTORS® in Danville, Va., says her staff is trained to listen to the member, then ensure the member understands the “why” behind the association’s actions. “When we receive a complaint, we ensure we understand what they are saying, and we tell them their feelings are valid,” Fountain says. “Typically, our complaints are from members who receive MLS fines, so we gently remind them that we are just enforcing the rules per our MLS committee and national regulations, and we are happy to take their concerns to the committee for consideration.”
It’s also important, Parent says, that staffers understand they do not have to allow a member to treat them inappropriately.
“We acknowledge what someone is saying, we do not get into any arguments, and if the member’s perception is wrong, we try to change it,” Parent says. “If someone starts yelling, screaming or calling you names, you don’t have to continue to engage with them. Let them know they can call back when they would like to have a conversation.”
Leadership should also receive guidance on how to react to member criticism, primarily via your annual leadership training. Ensure they are hearing and validating members while also defending the integrity of the association. They also should not contribute to any gossipy behavior, and they should promise the members they will get back to them with additional information if appropriate.
Also consider working with your team and/or executive leadership to create guidelines on best practices, and craft resources so your leadership can respond to criticism effectively.
Be Proactive and Transparent
The most effective way to handle negative feedback is to prevent it from happening in the first place—or at least reduce the odds. Associations that adopt a proactive and transparent communication strategy don’t just manage criticism better— they create a culture of trust that reduces it altogether.
© MirageC / Moment / Getty Images
When White was faced with an MLS conversion several years ago, her association focused on over-communication and multichannel communication methods and messaging.
“The association had been with this MLS for many years, and the system was antiquated and costly—and no one likes an MLS conversation, so there was negative feedback from the start,” White says. “We found success in over-communication, with several emails and town halls explaining the state of the MLS we were currently working with. We also focused on explaining the financial benefits of the transition. Different people respond to different messaging—some will resonate with emotions and some with business impact. But one thing is for sure: They will not support whatever change you’re making if they don’t understand it.”
Fountain says she’s learned the value of sending annual surveys (see “Measuring Member Satisfaction: A Quick Start Guide”) and implementing changes and new practices based on feedback, which helps to prevent future criticism.
“I received some concerns about costs and value associated with conference travel, so I created a new blog called ‘Traveling with the AE,’” she says. “For every conference, I do a writeup, and I upload pictures. I make sure they see value in my attendance, and that has made a very big difference.”
Lean on Your Network, and Don’t Take Criticism Personally
When you dedicate as much time and energy to your job as AEs do, it’s hard not to take member criticism personally. But the truth is that most criticism is not about you or your team; it’s about a moment, process or expectation that wasn’t met. When you take things personally, you risk letting emotion, rather than professionalism and purpose, drive your reaction.
Fountain says she maintains a strict professional rapport with members, despite complaints or criticism, and she never takes things personally.
“If someone is upset with me, I’m going to continue to treat them the same way—I will ask about their family when I see them, and so on,” she says. “I also remember that the members really only see the business side of me, so they don’t know me well enough for me to take criticism personally.”
Patten says it’s tough to not take things personally, especially given the rapidly changing industry and the struggle for associations to keep up. He says it’s important to have a network of people to support you during difficult times.
And AEs can always turn to other AEs. “One of my mentors told me that this is one of the loneliest jobs in the world, and she’s right,” Patten says. “But I’ve got a core group of AEs who will listen to me if I’m on the verge of meltdown, and having that support is important because it helps me maintain my composure.”
