Challenge

With a small marketing team reporting directly to the CEO, it became challenging to handle social media, reputation management, listings, and advertising responsibilities without a centralized system. Before Genius Reviews, local managers had to respond to reviews. 

“We’ve taken that off their plate, freeing up time to focus on their communities and properties. We can now provide instant responses to both positive and negative reviews, showcasing a commitment to active listening and resident experience, improving resident satisfaction and the company’s reputation,” said Dugan Slappe, Marketing Manager. 

By utilizing SOCi's AI-driven CoMarketing Cloud and leveraging Genius Reviews, Sandhurst successfully established clear objectives for online reputation management: maximizing positive reviews across diverse platforms and ensuring prompt and professional responses to feedback. Because Genius Reviews eased the load on local teams, improved response times, and enhanced guest interactions, feedback from local teams has been exceptionally positive.

Solution

Since implementing SOCi Genius, Sandhurst has experienced a 19% increase in reviews across all locations. Consistently generating new and up-to-date reviews is crucial for improving local search visibility, as ratings and reviews impact search rankings. The average business only responds to 45% of reviews, but Sandhurst has an impressive response rate of 97%. As a result, Sandhurst is now more visible to prospective residents than ever.

Sandhurst successfully enhanced its online reputation management by integrating SOCi's AI-driven CoMarketing Cloud and Genius Reviews, achieving an 8% increase in positive reviews. With a centralized system, Sandhurst alleviated local managers from responding to reviews, improving efficiency and satisfaction while maintaining a 97% response rate. Genius Reviews enabled authentic, well-crafted responses, boosting engagement and guest interactions. 

The implementation resulted in a 19% increase in reviews, improved search visibility, and reduced response times, ultimately strengthening Sandhurst’s commitment to excellent customer experiences.

Meet the Customer

Dugan Slappe is the head Marketing Manager and Broker-In-Charge for Sandhurst Apartment Management, which owns and manages assets in excess of $1 billion, including almost 50 multifamily properties in the Southeastern and Midwestern United States. 

Since 2009, the company has focused on enhancing its owner-managed assets and excelling in localized marketing across its communities. Dugan oversees branding, strategy, advertising, social media, and employee relations for SAM’s portfolio. He also manages software implementations and provides internal support for the company.

Meet the 

Visionary

Meet the Customer

Summary

Summary

Dugan Slappe

Marketing Manager & Broker-In-Charge

Sandhurst’s review response time dropped from an average of over 60 hours to 45 hours, representing a 25% time savings. The company also saw an 8% increase in positive reviews. Genius Reviews has significantly improved Sandhurst’s review management and staff efficiency, streamlining processes and strengthening the company’s commitment to delivering excellent customer experiences. 

Results and Impact

Review response time decreased from over 60 hours to 45 hours, a 25% time savings.

8% increase in positive reviews.

Streamlined processes.

Strengthened commitment to excellent customer experiences.

Improved review management and staff efficiency.

Continued innovation in digital marketing with SOCi.

"The best measurable benefit we have from Genius Reviews is timeliness – our response time has improved significantly, making our responses quicker and cleaner. Before Genius, it sometimes took us over 72 hours to respond to reviews,” said Dugan. 

97% review response rate

19% increase in reviews across all locations