On today’s episode of the Customer Success Stories Series, our team spoke to board member Mark Wallendorf about the challenges Swallows Nest faced and the results after they moved to Neigbrs by Vinteum.
Who is Swallows Nest?
Swallows Nest is an HOA based in Sacramento, California. The HOA comprises a mix of cluster homes, townhomes, and single-family homes, set in a 53-acre park-like setting. Amenities include an NCGA-rated executive golf course, community clubhouse, three swimming pools, tennis courts, and 24-hour manned security.
Their Main Challenge
Our main challenge was finding a platform that met all our needs.
They range from parking and security to monitoring guests who come in, making tennis reservations, and managing our clubhouse. As well as notifying people about packages dropped off at the front gate that they need to collect.
Current Solution: Neigbrs by Vinteum
With Neigbrs by Vinteum, I never have any issues getting hold of support. It has had a positive impact on our community. Residents took a while to get used to the new system and learn the difference between our website and our private portal. But we got there, and now almost 90% of our residents are active in the system.
The Results and Impacts
Around 80% of our communication goes through Neigbrs by Vinteum. So we use notices quite a bit for communication.
We use package notifications most; our guards can let residents know when a parcel has arrived. Then the resident receives an email and text message. Just in September, we’ve had over 2000 packages logged in the portal.
We’re also using reservations for our amenities, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. We use amenity reservations for our tennis and pickleball courts, our grill, clubhouse, and golf.
The Community’s Preferred Features
In our interview, Mark spoke about notices, which we looked at in our last Customer Success Story. Mark also talked about packages and amenity reservations.
Packages
Package tracking is an excellent solution for closed-gate communities and condos. If parcels are collected at a single location, this tool lets you notify residents of a new package efficiently.
The person in charge inputs when the parcel arrived, and who it’s for, and the system sends an email and a text to the resident.
The Benefits of Using the Packages Feature
Our package feature is an efficient way to remind residents about parcels. As you can send a text message, even if residents don’t use email, they can still be informed when a package arrives for them. It also helps keep your mailroom under control, as residents know it’s arrived rather than waiting until they drop by.
Amenities
Many community associations offer amenities; our amenity reservation system helps organize them.
Residents select the time they’d like to book the amenity, and they receive reminders about their booking via email, text, and push notifications to their phones.
The Benefits of Using the Amenities Feature
An amenity reservation system allows the board or manager to include their rules, terms and conditions of amenity use, so they can be personalized and adapted to their community. It also makes amenity use fairer and easier for everyone to get a slot, opening amenities to the whole community in a more organized way.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
How to manage packages in a big community?
At Swallow’s Nest, the guards managed a high volume of deliveries using the Neigbrs by Vinteum platform. The security team enters the details, and the resident receives an instant email and text message. This keeps the mailroom under control because people know exactly when to collect their items.
How does an HOA manage reservations?
Swallow’s Nest uses an amenity reservation system to allow residents to select their own time slots. The system automatically sends reminders via email, text, and push notifications so residents don’t miss their sessions.
Is it difficult to get residents to use a new digital portal?
Change can be intimidating for any community, and the residents at Swallow’s Nest took a little time to learn the difference between the public website and the private portal. However, the results show that persistence pays off. Today, almost 90% of the residents are active in the system.
How does a management system help HOA security?
The system acts as a force multiplier for the guards. Instead of managing guest lists and package logs on clipboards, the guards at Swallow’s Nest use digital tools to quickly notify residents of arrivals, which reduces the time spent handling inquiries at the gate.
Wrapping Up On This Customer Success Story
By automating package alerts and amenity bookings, the board at Swallow’s Nest regained hours of their time while providing a service that 90% of their residents now use daily.
We’ve seen that the biggest hurdle for many HOAs is the fear of complex technology. But as this community proved, the right platform makes life easier for everyone, from the security guards at the front gate to the residents booking a tennis court.
Take the first step toward a more efficient community. Schedule a free demo today and see how we can help you reduce your administrative burden and build a more connected neighborhood.
