The Opportunity: Creating Even More Meaningful Resident Connections

Boyd Wilson is a family-owned developer and operator of multifamily housing, with more than 3,000 apartment homes across Pennsylvania. For Executive Vice President Lisa Delgado, the resident experience has been at the heart of Boyd Wilson’s philosophy throughout her career with the company, which began in 1990.

Lisa’s early work took her to the communities, where she saw firsthand the impact that thoughtful, responsive service had on residents. From those experiences, she recognized that some of the most meaningful opportunities came after a work order was completed. A simple follow-up could confirm everything was resolved, uncover anything that still needed attention, and show residents that their satisfaction truly mattered.

As Boyd Wilson continued to grow, so did the number of resident interactions happening every day. Leasing, maintenance, resident services, and operations all remained focused on delivering exceptional service, but creating a consistent follow-up process across every completed work order became increasingly difficult to manage manually. The desire to provide that additional touchpoint never changed, the challenge was finding a scalable way to make it happen.

Stephanie Rubino, who supports the company’s new programs and process improvement initiatives, had also seen opportunities to create more meaningful conversations with residents.

Traditional surveys were typically email-based, asked the same standard questions, and often resulted in limited participation. Even when residents responded, there was little opportunity to continue the conversation or better understand their experience.

The Solution: Meaningful Conversations at Scale

Today, when a work order is completed, residents receive a text message from Sarah, ResiDesk’s AI resident manager. Instead of responding to a static survey, residents can simply reply in their own words. Sarah continues the conversation naturally, gathers context, and identifies the interactions that would benefit most from personal follow-up.

The resident outreach Lisa had envisioned for years now happens consistently across every completed work order, allowing Boyd Wilson’s teams to focus their time where it creates the greatest impact.

“Whenever ResiDesk identifies a resident who needs additional attention, that’s our cue to personally reach out. Technology helps us know when someone needs us, but it’s our people who build the relationship and make things right.”

The process keeps the resident experience personal where it matters most. ResiDesk provides consistent outreach across the portfolio while Boyd Wilson’s teams step in with the empathy, judgment, and personal attention that define the company’s culture.

The same resident-first approach has also strengthened Boyd Wilson’s online reputation. Rather than sending review requests to everyone, ResiDesk helps ensure residents who need additional support receive it first, while residents who have had positive experiences are invited to share those experiences publicly.

Boyd Wilson has also used ResiDesk to better understand resident preferences beyond maintenance. When evaluating ideas for unfinished basement space at Prince Street Lofts, the team asked residents whether they preferred indoor bike storage or a community game room. Residents did far more than simply vote, they shared thoughtful ideas about seating, games, gathering spaces, and how they envisioned using the space, providing meaningful insight while giving residents a voice in shaping their community.

The Impact: Better Insights, Stronger Relationships, Better Decisions

Across the portfolio, Boyd Wilson’s long-standing commitment to resident service is now supported by consistent feedback and meaningful resident conversations.

• 50% response rate on work order surveys, reaching five times more residents than traditional survey programs.

• 93% work order satisfaction rate, providing visibility into resident satisfaction after every completed work order.

• 4.2 to 4.6-star average Google rating, driven by consistent, sentiment-based review generation.

The 93% work order satisfaction rate represents more than a number. Every completed work order now receives follow-up, giving Boyd Wilson the opportunity to celebrate great service, identify opportunities for improvement, and resolve concerns before they become larger issues. With half of residents participating, the feedback provides a more complete picture of the resident experience across the portfolio.

“We’re always looking for ways to turn a good resident experience into a great one. Sometimes it’s the residents who never complain that have the most valuable feedback. ResiDesk helps us identify those opportunities so we can keep improving.”

The same visibility has strengthened Boyd Wilson’s reputation management efforts. The portfolio’s average Google rating has grown from 4.2 to 4.6 stars because review generation has become more consistent while ensuring every resident receives the appropriate follow-up based on their experience.

Work order feedback has also become a meaningful source of employee recognition. Residents frequently share detailed compliments about maintenance technicians, leasing professionals, and community teams. Stephanie compiles these comments into a monthly update that’s shared across the organization and with property owners.

“We love seeing our employees recognized by our residents. The comments are incredibly thoughtful, and it’s rewarding to share that recognition throughout the company because our teams truly care about the people they serve.”

The value of resident feedback extends beyond individual work orders and online reviews. It also provides Boyd Wilson with stronger insight for operational planning and future investments.

“Making important investment decisions starts with understanding what residents truly value. ResiDesk gives us richer, more representative feedback, which helps us make decisions with greater confidence.”

With more residents participating and more meaningful conversations taking place, Boyd Wilson has greater confidence in understanding what residents value, where experiences can be improved, and how to prioritize future investments across the portfolio.

Strengthening the Resident Experience, One Conversation at a Time

After every completed work order, Sarah starts a conversation that gives residents another opportunity to be heard. Those conversations help identify unresolved concerns, create more meaningful opportunities for reviews, recognize associates who deliver exceptional service, and provide valuable insight that helps Boyd Wilson continue improving the resident experience.

For Lisa, Sarah’s value isn’t simply the technology behind the platform, it’s how seamlessly she supports the team.

“To us, Sarah is an extension of our team. She helps ensure every resident has a voice and every conversation has the opportunity to continue. She doesn’t replace the personal relationships our teams build every day, she helps us strengthen them.”

As Boyd Wilson continues to grow, ResiDesk has helped scale the company’s long-standing commitment to exceptional service. Technology provides the consistency, while Boyd Wilson’s people continue to deliver the empathy, relationships, and personal touch that define the resident experience.