I had the misfortune to take up residence in a flat managed by Reed Residential last year. The flat itself wasn't bad as a property - although it would have been better had there been heating during winter.
And therein lies the comedy.
The problem with the heating was reported to them during the xmas holidays so the first delay in response was simply due to no-one being in office. As the weeks past though, and as my continued phone calls started being deflected by "Oh I'm sorry, Adam isn't at his desk right now", or "Adams in a meeting at the moment, can I take a message?".
I started imagining that Adam was printing out my emails and then using the paper copies to fuel an open fire - whilst wearing shorts and a t-shirt because of the heat produced - whilst I was shivering under jumpers, paying a premium rent for the pleasure.
Estate agents are a known quantity so it wasn't a Herculean leap of the imagination to realise that the primary contact - Adam - was simply avoiding my calls. There was a visit from an engineer to size up replacements, then the landlord wasn't sure if he wanted to replace them. Then he was getting other quotes, then the engineer visited again to get other measurements.
Nothing was moving in any direction other than a fob off and Adam seemed to be to focused on using my emails for firewood. Until February.
Then I cancelled the rent monthly standing order and waited. By this point I'd had enough and was moving out but I thought it would be interesting to see how long it took Adam (or anyone else at Reed Residential) to get back to me and start playing nicely.
The response was simply astounding - Almost two days after the rent was due I got two emails and four phone calls (three of those on a Saturday)...of course this wasn't to apologise for months of refrigeration / premium rents; nor was it to ask if there was anything they could do. No - it was simply to chase for missing rent. So I explained that once the flat was in a condition befitting the rent and inventory I would be happy to pay full rent but in the mean time I'd deducted an appropriate amount retrospectively [i.e. since the problem first occurred]- meaning no rent was due that particular month.
And now everything changed - suddenly radiator replacements were being flown in by winged chariots piloted by Valkyrie smoking Romeo y Julieta's; there had been no delay, simply a misunderstanding and should I not pay rent I would be taken to court and flayed by their eight storey tall lawyers.
Of course I'd already moved out at this stage so it was just for my own entertainment (causing them the same inconvenience they caused me).
And therein lies the comedy.
The problem with the heating was reported to them during the xmas holidays so the first delay in response was simply due to no-one being in office. As the weeks past though, and as my continued phone calls started being deflected by "Oh I'm sorry, Adam isn't at his desk right now", or "Adams in a meeting at the moment, can I take a message?".
I started imagining that Adam was printing out my emails and then using the paper copies to fuel an open fire - whilst wearing shorts and a t-shirt because of the heat produced - whilst I was shivering under jumpers, paying a premium rent for the pleasure.
Estate agents are a known quantity so it wasn't a Herculean leap of the imagination to realise that the primary contact - Adam - was simply avoiding my calls. There was a visit from an engineer to size up replacements, then the landlord wasn't sure if he wanted to replace them. Then he was getting other quotes, then the engineer visited again to get other measurements.
Nothing was moving in any direction other than a fob off and Adam seemed to be to focused on using my emails for firewood. Until February.
Then I cancelled the rent monthly standing order and waited. By this point I'd had enough and was moving out but I thought it would be interesting to see how long it took Adam (or anyone else at Reed Residential) to get back to me and start playing nicely.
The response was simply astounding - Almost two days after the rent was due I got two emails and four phone calls (three of those on a Saturday)...of course this wasn't to apologise for months of refrigeration / premium rents; nor was it to ask if there was anything they could do. No - it was simply to chase for missing rent. So I explained that once the flat was in a condition befitting the rent and inventory I would be happy to pay full rent but in the mean time I'd deducted an appropriate amount retrospectively [i.e. since the problem first occurred]- meaning no rent was due that particular month.
And now everything changed - suddenly radiator replacements were being flown in by winged chariots piloted by Valkyrie smoking Romeo y Julieta's; there had been no delay, simply a misunderstanding and should I not pay rent I would be taken to court and flayed by their eight storey tall lawyers.
Of course I'd already moved out at this stage so it was just for my own entertainment (causing them the same inconvenience they caused me).
The net result was that they kept the deposit and probably just about broke even, someone at Reed Residential was apparently relieved of their job (the eponymous Adam) and the world continued unabated. However the real comedy occurred a couple of months later and really highlighted the care taken for all of their customers and tenants.
Now its entertaining astounding for a number of reasons:
- The apartment doesn't have a microwave, I had my own and never mentioned it to anyone at Reed
- I'd moved out on 28th February and this email arrived 22nd April
- I made no request relating to anything other than the basics. Like heating.
- Pretty sure they're talking about a different apartment
- Pretty sure that email should have gone to someone else
- Someone else probably got angry at Reed for not delivering on their promises
