Category Management Committee

ApnaComplex’s Complaint management: Know how to log, monitor, and update a complaint!

Complaint Management/Helpdesk is one of the primary and strongest modules of ApnaComplex. It has helped thousands of societies streamline their complaint process and minimise grievances significantly.

When you tap into this module’s full potential, no matter how big or small a society is, managing complaints is going to be a cakewalk.

In this blog, we explain how residents can easily register complaints using various methods and how the management can resolve and close these complaints in a few steps, all by using the ApnaComplex app.

Logging a complaint

Logging/raising a complaint is quite easy using the ApnaComplex app and it can be accomplished in a few simple steps.

–          Open the ApnaComplex app. Under ‘Quick Actions’, you will find ‘Complaint’. Click on it.

–          Once the ‘Complaints’ page opens, click on the ‘+’ button that will be on the right bottom of the screen.

–          Here, under ‘My Complaint’ you can describe your complaint and if you have a picture of your complaint, upload it under ‘Add Photo’.

–          Under ‘Category & Type’, select the category such as electrical, common areas, plumbing, etc, and click ‘Done’. Also, select the complaint type – personal or community.

–          Under ‘Urgency’, enable ‘Is this urgent?’ if you want the complaint to be immediately resolved.

–          Click ‘Post Now’ to successfully raise a complaint.

The ‘Complaints’ page can also be accessed by clicking the ‘+’ button that will be on the right bottom of the ApnaComplex app’s home screen. You will be taken to the ‘Actions’ page, and under ‘Helpdesk’, click on ‘Raise a Complaint’. The rest of the procedures remain the same.

Logging a complaint using QR code

Raising a complaint by scanning QR codes applies to a society’s assets and equipment, and this feature is unique to ApnaComplex. Follow the below steps to successfully perform this particular action.

–          Open the ApnaComplex app and click the ‘+’ button that will be in the bottom right of the screen.

–          The ‘Actions’ page will open and under ‘Helpdesk’, you will see ‘Scan QR Code’. Click to scan and register a complaint against an asset.

When you scan a QR code, the admin will be notified of the complaint and the relevant maintenance staff will receive the complaint. This is the easiest way to raise a complaint against an asset, and this way, the response time is also quicker.

Monitoring a complaint

If you are unsure whether your complaint is resolved or not, follow the below steps to monitor your complaint.

–          On the ApnaComplex app, click on ‘Complaint’ which will be under ‘Quick Actions’. Over here, you can view the open complaints.

–          If your complaint is resolved and still open on the app, open the complaint and click ‘close’ to close it.

Updating and closing a complaint as admin

If you are an admin and want to close a complaint, follow the below steps.

–          Open the ApnaComplex app and click on the ‘Admin icon’ that will be on the top right of the screen.

–          You will be taken to the ‘Admin’ page. Over there, click on the ‘Complaint Box’ to open the ‘Admin Complaint Box’.  Here, you will be able to see all the open complaints and their escalation level. Click on ‘CLOSE COMPLAINT’ which will be in the centre bottom of the screen to close the complaint.

ApnaComplex offers one of the most comprehensive and robust complaint management systems. The app is intuitive and the actions are completely automated so that even a novice or any senior committee member who has no prior experience using technically sound apps can quickly learn it and simplify operations.

Not just Complaint Management, ApnaComplex also offers the best solutions for  communications within the society, accounting, facility & asset management solutions and more which are tailor made for each society. It is noteworthy that ApnaComplex has recently won the BEST ERP SOLUTION for gated community and society management at the PropTech Realty+ Awards.

To know how you can deploy ApnaComplex and automate your society’s operations, visit apnacomplex.com.


How to resolve parking issues in gated communities?

Though most of the societies have designated and sufficient parking spaces, many societies do not or have poorly designed parking spaces causing confusion and inconvenience. Some of the common parking woes include lack of visitor parking space, unauthorised parking, parking in the wrong spot, etc.

The best way to resolve parking issues is to streamline the parking process and have appropriate rules and regulations in place. Keep reading to know how to handle parking woes rationally and what the management committee can do to provide a fair parking allotment.

Some common parking issues in societies

–          Residents parking their vehicles in undesignated or other residents’ parking spots.

–          Visitors parking their vehicles haphazardly, in ‘No Parking Zone’, and/or in some other residents’ designated parking area.

–          A resident owning more than one two-wheeler or four-wheeler can be problematic too since this leads to an added number of vehicles than designated parking spaces within the society. To park their other vehicles, residents who own multiple vehicles use the allotted parking spots of other residents causing inconvenience to the latter. 

All the above issues can be effortlessly addressed and resolved with the help of effective and clear communication, workable parking rules and regulations. Streamlining community parking will benefit all the parties immensely eventually. 

Tips to solve parking issues

Better Communication and Management

Parking in the wrong spot deliberately or unknowingly can cause problems shortly and one cannot blame the other resident for wanting their covered parking spot.

To avoid this hassle, a simple check with the security or the resident of that particular spot will help you determine if you can park in that spot or not. 

If you are part of the management, then it is important to communicate your society’s parking rules to other residents and visitors. Paste those rules on the Notice Board. If you use ApnaComplex, digitally store these rules on the app using Document Repository and share them with residents. The rules can also be shared via the ApnaComplex ‘Notice Board’.

Using these smart tools, you can efficiently manage vehicle parking.

Fine wrongful and unauthorised parking

Imposing fines can be annoying to the one who pays but for the management, it can solve a lot of issues. Identify and fine residents who park their vehicles randomly and park in spots designated to other residents.

Monetary penalties can have a stronger impact than verbal or written censures. While eliminating the troubles of wrongful parking, this penalty will also bring additional income to the society that can be used for the welfare of the society and residents.

These penalties collected can be digitally recorded using the ApnaComplex Billing and Collection Module and invoices can be raised automatically too.

Hold the resident responsible

Ensure that all the parking rules of your society are communicated to the entire residents. When a guest or visitor parks in a random parking spot, they aren’t aware of the rules, and penalising them is unjust.

It is the responsibility of the resident that the visitor parks the vehicle in the right spot. If they fail to do so, it is only fair to penalise them. This will drive home the point that your society is quite serious about the parking laws.

Rent space for multiple vehicles

If you have space left in your society, rent it to residents for parking their additional vehicles or request them to park the additional vehicle outside the society. This will allow other residents to park their vehicles freely without any inconvenience.

A little planning, smarter management, and clear communication can help you manage parking issues better in your society. These efforts exerted in the present will pay off in the long run.

We hope the aforementioned tips help you manage parking in your society better. To know how we can help you with parking management and streamlining society operations, visit www.apnacomplex.com.


The Committee Starter Kit – Here is what you should know if you’re new to the Management Committee!

Committee members – they are the backbone of a society. From handling finances to brainstorming for the development of a Society, they offer their time and energy for the wellness of the Society.

They also enjoy certain powers; and as Uncle Ben said, “with great power comes great responsibility!”

In this article, we shall explore the roles, responsibilities, snags, and how an app like ApnaComplex can help eliminate these hurdles and enable a committee to discharge its responsibilities efficiently.

There are four primary roles in a Management Committee – President, Treasurer, Secretary, and Security In-charge.

President

A president is expected to have high leadership qualities and should have the ability to take important decisions. She/he should also have a fair knowledge of the law, rules, and regulations.

A president’s roles/responsibilities include,

•   Defending the society against any legal action.

•   Suing people/parties for legal purposes.

•   Framing of rules and regulations for the society

•   Resolving conflicts among residents and building a stronger community.

•   Overseeing all the expenses of the society and ensuring the money is used correctly.

•   Chairing all the meetings conducted by the committee.

The truth be told, for a President, executing the above actions is not always easy. Here we bring some of the issues faced by a President and how can ApnaComplex help them resolve them.

LimitationsApnaComplex Solution
Constantly checking if the Society is legally compliant.

Ensuring that the Society is following all the government guidelines to a T.  

Ensuring all the residents are following the rules and regulations of the Society.

Confronting improper conduct between the residents and resolving conflicts.

Maintain transparency in the decision-making and how the funds are used.
Communication – Community collaboration tools available on the app make your communication easy and smooth.

Notice board – Send important notices via multiple channels using the ApnaComplex Notice board.

Chat group – Create groups and bring the entire community together.

Accounting services – Our Billing & Accounting module is fully GST Compliant.

Expense tracking – Plan your Society’s budget and expenses using the app and keep your financial status transparent.  

Treasurer

A Treasurer or Accountant handles the entire finances of a Society. Their roles and responsibilities are:

•   Record all financial transactions and report all surplus & deficits.

•   Responsible for tax compliances and all other financial regulatory obligations

•   Responsible for promptly processing payments of all society expenses.

Like the President, a Treasurer also encounters his/her fair share of issues and ApnaComplex offers perfect accounting solutions which are discussed below.  

LimitationsApnaComplex Solution
Difficulties in reconciling the balance sheet.

Manually entering financial statements that are time-consuming.

Planning the Society budget and providing transparency to it.


Constantly following up with the residents to collect maintenance and other charges.

Ensuring that the transactions are compliant with the GST.

Filing of Quarterly E-TDS returns and generating Form-16A. 
Automated Billing – The app offers 100% Automated Society Billing & Collections with Zero Convenience Charge

Auto reconciliation – The ApnaComplex app auto reconciles the financial statements.

Auto-reminders – The app sends auto-reminders to defaulting residents.

100+ financial reports – ApnaComplex offers complete Accounting Software with GST support and real-time financial statements. Additionally, 100+ financial and 30+ audit-ready reports can be accessed.

Accounting – Daily accounting and bookkeeping services are also coordinated with statutory auditors.  

Secretary

A Secretary also plays another vital role in a Society. She/he is responsible for:

•   The executive administration.

•   Records and registers including cash book, audit register, etc.

•   Conducting Committee Election thoroughly in the manner prescribed.

•   The recruitment, functioning, and compensation of the service staff.

•   Inspection of the property and flat.

However, it is not always possible for a Secretary to be everywhere at once. Below, common issues faced by a Secretary, and how ApnaComplex can help them are given.

LimitationsApnaComplex Solution
Monitor the daily operations of the Society.
Resolving residents’ complaints instantly and keeping track of every single complaint especially in large Societies.

Inspect property of the Society and flats often.

Manually communicate important notices to the residents quickly.

Manage all the official documents manually which can be a daunting task.
Centralised complaint tracking – using ApnaComplex, complaints, suggestions, and requests can be tracked effortlessly and the app offers a three-step escalation matrix.

Budgeting –  A Secretary can plan Society’s budget through expense tracking and provide transparency in Society expenses.

Watching the Guards – With ApnaComplex Guard Patrol Tracking, Secretary can keep accurate track of all patrols inside the Society.

Polls & Survey – Get authentic feedback from residents from the online survey and polls service. 

Security In-charge

In a Society, a Security In-charge is expected to,

•   Arrange and oversee the security and the associated duties.

•   End-to-end management of all daily staff.

•   Security Infrastructure in Apartment Complexes.

•   Visitor Management in Apartment Complexes.

•   Management of courier/delivery.

Alas, Security In-charge does face certain limitations. Both these limitations and how ApnaComplex can solve them are listed below.

LimitationsApnaComplex Solution
Unknown visitors ending society can pose a security risk.

Tracking the patrolling of the security personnel is not always possible.

Tracking of visitors becomes difficult.

Recording, maintaining, and verifying the information provided by the visitors can be cross-verified.

It is difficult to keep track of the unauthorised entry of vehicles. 
Gatekeeper – ApnaComplex Gatekeeper app is a one-stop security solution for apartment complexes.

Sleep peacefully – With guard Patrol Tracking keep accurate track of all patrols inside your society.

Eliminate unknown visitors – Residents can update “Expected Visitor” details on the ApnaComplex app which eliminates unknown or unauthorised visitor entry.

Track material movement – Track items being carried out of the gate by vendors, service staff, and visitors. 

Apart from these four roles, there is an IT head or in charge, who is appointed to handle the app. Likewise, there will be additional members to the Management Committee like the Vice President, Assistant Secretary, etc who will be extending support to the primary Committee Members.

These Committee Members work together seamlessly to offer support, assistance, and safety for the residents, and ApnaComplex aims to simplify and streamline operations using smart and intuitive technology.

To know more about our modules and features, please visit our website