Lactchel vs SuperTenders
Pittsburgh, PA · Member since 2019 · 5 posts · 2 votes
I'm starting out with a triplex that I plan to self-manage (in Pittsburgh). I'm thinking about outsourcing the maintenance response piece to either Latchel or SuperTenders. They seem very similar in that they handle emergency and non-emergency maintenance calls and, critically, even dispatch contractors/service-people with minimal intervention from me. So if I'm away for the week and *!@# happens, they handle things. Does anyone have experience with either company? Or maybe you have other solutions for this?
Thanks!
@Nick M. @Alexander Sutton @Cliff H. @Jeff Galak
Just updating the forum post. So I have been using Latchel for 20 of my units now for about a year. I have used the full service at $10/mo/unit and most currently their 24/7 emergency service for $1/mo.
I was honestly a little skeptical at first, but the sales person did a really good job explaining their service, and I have been extremely impressed with the service they provide. I have needed them to find any of their own vendors yet, as I uploaded my preferred vendor list. So I can't speak to how their Latchel network of contractors work. However, I would strongly recommend their service. They are very tech savvy and very progressive in how they operate.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, but I love the service.
@Jeff Galak Hey Jeff, curious if you decided to use the vendors you mentioned above. I heard about Latchel today and it sounds great, but would really like to hear how well they do from someone with experience using them.
Hi Brent. I did go with them. Had their service for about 3 months now. I only have two units under their contract as I self manage those and use latchel as my emergency call service. Haven’t had a call to them from tenants yet so hard to evaluate. The real test will be when a tenant has an emergency.
@Jeff Galak Hi Jeff, ok thanks. I had a call with them and am thinking about turning over 20 of my units to them for their "premium" all maintenance type solution. I'm certainly apprehensive as I've never spoken to anyone that has used their service. Hopefully you won't need their services for a long time! Thanks Jeff.
Would love to hear how that goes for you.
Good luck!
@Jeff Galak no XP with either, but after looking over the sites both appear to be mostly a call line and contractor dispatcher, which many self-managed investors can often handle now via contractor directories like Thumbtack, Angie’s List to start until you find your reliable go-to’s. Put a virtual potential call center at the front line to field calls and this feels like something that could be done cheaper than what appears to be $26/door/mo.
Have you self-managed before? How does this compare? Are you seeing additional value-add from the service beyond just Rolodex contractor dispatch? I could see a value-play here for monthly financial reporting, if not handled directly through PM systems. Genuinely curious, as there has certainly been points where I go away on vacation for a week and just need a temp dispatcher, but here we are talking at least month-month contracts, yes?
Cliff, first, on pricing. If I'm not mistaken it is $25/month base + $1/month/unit...so not $26/door/mo. I could be wrong though...I've been billed $26/month so far.
And yes, I think largely what I wanted was to never have to deal with the middle of the night call. I tell my tenants that for regular maintenance issues they should just call/text me. I have contractors I use so no issues. For emergencies (fire, water, structure) they should call Latchel who then, in theory (again, never had to test it yet...thankfully!), triage to see if the issue is a real emergency and then dispatch from my list of provided contractors. Real estate is not my primary job, and I travel quite a bit, so having the piece of mind that I don't have to worry about the 2am call is absolutely worth the fee.
Thanks for clarification @Jeff Galak. Reviewing their product page it does appear the $25/month is base with the marginal $1/unit pricing after that.
https://latchel.com/emergency/
So more economical as the portfolio grows, though very curious Your XP once repairs are triggered since most after hours calls would be “surge pricing” for any contractor they bring in.
in 15 years I’ve only had a few of the stereotypical “after hours broken toilet” calls, but I know that’s highly variable by location and property class. I’ve also used Home Warranty services (could write a book actually) as a hedge for C class properties I managed in the past so I empathize with the intent.
Do post back here at a later time with your observations on the repair dispatch process and pricing. Could be something that could really benefit other investors to understand better from a first hand perspective.
I've got pretty extensive experience working directly with Latchel who is contracted by the company I work for. Let me know if you all still have any questions about the experience of using them.
@Brent Kiger Did you wind up using Latchel? If so, how has been your experience? Thanks in advance.
@Nick M. @Alexander Sutton @Cliff H. @Jeff Galak
Just updating the forum post. So I have been using Latchel for 20 of my units now for about a year. I have used the full service at $10/mo/unit and most currently their 24/7 emergency service for $1/mo.
I was honestly a little skeptical at first, but the sales person did a really good job explaining their service, and I have been extremely impressed with the service they provide. I have needed them to find any of their own vendors yet, as I uploaded my preferred vendor list. So I can't speak to how their Latchel network of contractors work. However, I would strongly recommend their service. They are very tech savvy and very progressive in how they operate.
Feel free to reach out if you have any questions, but I love the service.
@Brent Kiger Thanks for sharing your experience. Assuming tenants can place their maintanence request online, is that through your property management software (e.g. Buildium, Appfolio etc) and a Latchel integration? Either way, how long does it take Latchel to begin processing a request? Are they good with tenant and vendor followup to ensure job has been done and properly?
@Nick M. So yes, tenants can make a maintenance request online, phone or text. Most of mine seem to like the text option. Currently I use Buildium, and Buildium and Latchel do not talk to each other, as of August of 2020. Would love for those to somehow communicate, and I've brought that up to Buildium as my user feedback. They are very good at follow up and request that vendors take before and after pictures that get uploaded to Latchel to show the work has been completed.
Hope this helps, let me know if you have any other questions.
Brent
@Jeff Galak - big fan of Latchel's product and team. Think they have a bright future and really like them now.
@Brent Kiger Sorry, few more questions:
- My residents using Buildium for years. I don't want to have to introduce them to a new workflow for submitting maintenance requests (e.g. now log into latchel). Thoughts on that?
- Most of my residents submit online tickets. In your experience, how quickly is Latchel reviewing online ticket requests and how soon do they follow up with the resident on status (e.g. day/time of tech visit)?
- I'd like to use my own contractors, while most have an email address, most operate by phone. Can Latchel accommodate sending an electronic work order + calling the contractor as follow up to make sure they are on top of the job?
- Does Latchel coordinate the day/time a tech will visit a resident?
- Can their system adopt special instructions like, where techs can access a master key to enter an apartment?
I realize I can ask the same questions direct to Latchel, but I suspect they'll just try to sell me on the dream. Real world user feedback is the best.
@Nick M. Did you ever find out answers to yours questions? Did you use Latchel and if so how was your experience?
@Jason Bilbrey Nope, did not use Latchel
I have used Latchel and can attest that it is a waste of money. I am not sure if the company as a whole is cutting corners to "maximize profit," detached from the concerns of property managers, etc., but the quality of its service evinces a deep disregard for customer satisfaction. I, too, was interested in Latchel and very optimistic about it at the start. I added Latchel to just a few of my properties to try it, but I quickly learned that 24/7 repair coordination is anything but.
Every step of Latchel's workflow is painful. The number of issues is so large I can't concisely describe them all now, but to summarize, Latchel is exceedingly slow to respond to all maintenance requests, including emergencies, and basically fails to communicate any information regarding the status of repairs. Of course, I speak from experience: as one example, I submitted a maintenance request that I eventually escalated to an emergency, but days passed without any action by Latchel. I had to call several dozen times to learn what was happening behind the scenes, only to discover that the "experienced property managers" at Latchel had been sitting on their hands. Thus, because I hired Latchel, the amount of work I had to do for a relatively straightforward task was multiplied--the exact opposite result Latchel promised. If I had just called a couple different handymen for quotes, the issue would have been fixed sooner and more professionally.
In conclusion, if you want to spend a nontrivial sum each month to make your life more difficult and your work more annoying, Latchel is one way of doing that. However, if you're not a fan of inefficiency, I recommend finding another solution.
I've been using Latchel for 2 months now and can attest that it is a horrendous experience. I've had 2 maintenance issues that were submitted on June 2, 2021. One was a plumbing issue, and the second a garage repair. Latchel struggled to find a plumber.Took them nearly 10 days. They eventually sent one out who visited the property, told the tenant that she would have to buy a bunch of parts, then charged my tenant $50 for visiting, but never submitted an estimate. It took another week, but we eventually got her money back. Weeks later, another plumber was sent to the property. The tenant called to tell me the plumber was there. I spoke to him, but he said he couldn't talk to me, and had to talk to Latchel. His estimate was $1400 to fix a leaky sink, unclog a drain, and replace a faucet! I was told Latchel would negotiate with vendors to ensure fair pricing. That $1400 is insane. After talking to Latchel and trying to get it figured out, I told them I would take care of it myself because they have been completely incapable of solving the problem. (It took me 30 min to find a plumber and coordinate everything).
Next was the garage door. I requested that they send someone out to set the door on its track, and then get a quote for the cost to install an opener. They had multiple vendors visit (one no-show) without getting an estimate. I clarified and re-clarified what I wanted. After 7 weeks, I called to say that I see I have to approve something in my dashboard, but there is no attachment and nothing to approve. The man on the phone emails me the quote of $1000 to set the door on its track and oil it! I can buy a whole new door and system for that price. I asked to speak to a manager. I spoke to an escalation person, and told him I would like a different quote. No response. It's still pending approval.Throughout this disaster, I've always had to follow up to find out what's happening. I never receive notifications. They never call for approval. I've called numerous times and have been sent to "escalation teams". No solution.Thursday I spent 90 min on the phone trying to talk to a manager or supervisor. I finally spoke to Luis who told me, "we definitely dropped the ball. I see that you haven't gotten any messages, alerts, or notifications. I think something is wrong with your account." He then told me he would have an escalation team member reach out to work with me. That person never called. Luis never called back.Suffice it to say that I am absolutely disgusted with Latchel. They've wasted my time, they've wasted my money, and they've pissed off my tenant. I've never dealt with such an abundance of incompetence in one place.
I've been using rentredi for about 2 months now and been tempted to add their maintenance coordination via Latchel. The idea and sales pitch sound great, but the execution does now. Every review I've read that has actual experience has something bad to say. I think they are outsourcing a lot of the work, and don't really focus on the customer experience (both at the landlord and tenant level). Until I hear of a company that does this, take care of the landlord costs, provide excellent care for tenants, I'll hold off.
Yes, maintenance is a pain, yes, there is definitely an opportunity for a company to step it up, but each region is different and scaling this up is hard.
I hope that Latchel and others get their operations up to snuff.
Anyone here with GOOD experiences with them?
On one of my homes, Latchel claimed to have called eight HVAC vendors between 8 & 10pm on a Saturday night. When those legitimate HVAC vendors didn't respond immediately or commit to resolving the undiagnosed issue within 48 hours, Latchel sent "LUGGHOME" (nothing comes up when Googling LUGGHOME btw).
I authorized UP TO $175 and requested a call from the contractor after the diagnosis. LUGGHOME sent an invoice for a "Minimum Service Charge $700" and never called. Whoever actually went to the house claimed to have found a short at the compressor and added 6lbs of freon.
Latchel is probably fine if they only triage to our previously vetted contractors, but if "LUGGHOME" is their version of a "preferred contractor", I am out.
FWIW Latchel seems like a service for PM companies, not Mom and Pop investors. We are considering it as we manage over 200 doors.
Latchel is the worst.
I recently switched to RentRedi from TurobTenant because I was trying to outsource maintenance requests through Latchel (integrated into RentRedi) and it has been horrendous. I'm pretty convinced Latchel is just an auto-reponse generator with outsourced support. I've been using it for about three months and have yet to get a single maintenance request properly taken care of. Every single ticket I've submitted I chose the option to contact me instead of the tentants, but instead they send the tenant a text and an email then close the request because my tenants have no idea how to respond (their emails are super vague and my tenants think they are spam). I finally got them to open a ticket and push it through, only to get an email the next day saying they couldn't find a vendor and that I'm welcome to take care of it myself.
Latchel is the worst.
I recently switched to RentRedi from TurobTenant because I was trying to outsource maintenance requests through Latchel (integrated into RentRedi) and it has been horrendous. I'm pretty convinced Latchel is just an auto-reponse generator with outsourced support. I've been using it for about three months and have yet to get a single maintenance request properly taken care of. Every single ticket I've submitted I chose the option to contact me instead of the tentants, but instead they send the tenant a text and an email then close the request because my tenants have no idea how to respond (their emails are super vague and my tenants think they are spam). I finally got them to open a ticket and push it through, only to get an email the next day saying they couldn't find a vendor and that I'm welcome to take care of it myself.
@Summer Rae when you switched to TurboTenant, did you sign up for the maintenance service through Lula? It seems almost the same as Latchel, except I believe they only use their own network of contractors (you can't submit a list of your own). I was debating trying out one of those services, and sounds like Latchel is definitely not a good option. Curious if anyone had experience with Lula.
Latchel is the worst.
I recently switched to RentRedi from TurobTenant because I was trying to outsource maintenance requests through Latchel (integrated into RentRedi) and it has been horrendous. I'm pretty convinced Latchel is just an auto-reponse generator with outsourced support. I've been using it for about three months and have yet to get a single maintenance request properly taken care of. Every single ticket I've submitted I chose the option to contact me instead of the tentants, but instead they send the tenant a text and an email then close the request because my tenants have no idea how to respond (their emails are super vague and my tenants think they are spam). I finally got them to open a ticket and push it through, only to get an email the next day saying they couldn't find a vendor and that I'm welcome to take care of it myself.
@Summer Rae when you switched to TurboTenant, did you sign up for the maintenance service through Lula? It seems almost the same as Latchel, except I believe they only use their own network of contractors (you can't submit a list of your own). I was debating trying out one of those services, and sounds like Latchel is definitely not a good option. Curious if anyone had experience with Lula.
Hi-
I wondered the same thing about Lula, but was too scarred from the RentRedi experience. I ended up just finding a contractor I can trust for the big stuff and use RotoRooter and Mr. Handyman for emergencies. It's saved a lot of hassle and provided better customer service.
As I've started scaling, I ended up hiring a personal assistant for $500/month that will handle scheduling the maintenance, customer communication and a whole bunch of other stuff- it has been a great investment.
Best of luck!
I had such an awful experience with Latchel. They ended up just re-routing every ticket back to me to take care of, in part because they don't have a very good network in Pittsburgh, in part because they are really just not good at their jobs. I ended up spending $500/month on a personal assistant that takes care of all this kind of stuff for me and both my sanity and my tenants have been much happier for it.