My experience with Madison West Elm has been deeply frustrating, especially during the recent water main break that forced us out of the building for eight consecutive nights. Many of the residents have had to shell out $200-$250 per night for a hotel room plus hotel food since our groceries are spoiled after they shut the power of on us and most hotels don't have a kitchen. We're talking about thousands of dollars of expenses per apartment and they haven't even come up with a plan to reimburse people. They've had eight days to do so but they are apparently still unable to get any concrete plan communicated to us. The management's failure to properly communicate, handle the situation with empathy, and provide any clarity on solutions has been disappointing at every turn.
Please allow me to show have Madison Apartment Group has failed on all 5 principles of effective crisis communication:
Fast Communication: The management consistently waited until 9:30 AM to inform us whether we could return to the building or needed to book another night at a hotel. This was completely unacceptable, particularly for households like mine, where one member is an essential worker who works from 7 AM to 7 PM. It left us in a difficult position, forcing us to pack up and check out each morning, only to return to the hotel and go through the same process again that evening. This lack of timely communication made an already stressful situation even worse.
Honest Communication: The management at Madison initially told us that the only reason we couldn't stay in our units was because the elevators were not functional. They insisted that the entire building needed a complete certification of occupancy before we could return (in other words they could not open the building up to just some of the apartment units), and that included the elevators. However, just a few days later, they decided to allow access to floors 8-12, which completely contradicted their previous explanation. When I confronted them about this inconsistency, the response was dismissive and unhelpful -- they claimed they hadn't said what they clearly had. The staff's attitude was condescending, with shrill, unprofessional tones, making it clear that they weren't interested in providing accurate or consistent information.
Empathetic Communication: Out of the three people in the management office, only one seemed to have any genuine empathy for the situation. The rest were ill-tempered and indifferent, showing little concern for the difficulties tenants were enduring during this extended disruption. A lack of compassion during a crisis only exacerbates an already challenging situation.
Consistent Communication: There was a complete lack of consistency in the communication from the management. Their explanation for why we couldn't return to our apartments kept changing as the days went on, further fueling confusion and frustration. At one point, we were told one thing, only to have that contradicted by their actions shortly after.
Clear Communication: The management has failed to provide any clarity about reimbursement for the disruptions we've endured. We still don't know whether we will receive any refunds on our rent or if there will be any compensation for the electric bills. In our unit, multiple dehumidifiers were used without our consent, and the air conditioning and heating systems were running simultaneously 24/7, causing unnecessary energy consumption. There's been no clear communication on how or whether these costs will be reimbursed.
In summary, Madison West Elm's management has failed at every critical step of disaster and crisis communication. They were neither fast, honest, empathetic, consistent, nor clear. Their lack of professionalism and disregard for their tenants' well-being during this crisis has left a lasting negative impression. I strongly recommend that future tenants carefully consider these issues before signing a lease here. read more
