At one of Gate Sentry’s communities in Florida, hurricanes are a common occurrence. The community’s previous Visitor Management Access System was very problematic because the only way to communicate with residents was by email. Therefore, if there was a hurricane or tropical storm, the management office could not contact residents because the network would be down. While the management team and HOA communicated via email as best they could, it was ineffective. The community’s Homeowners and Property Management company teamed up to uncover a system that was more efficient and would allow them to communicate with residents via text. After researching for several months, the HOA and PM company found Gate Sentry solved their problems. Gate Sentry allowed them to instantly send text messages to all residents about power problems, no water, no sewer, or telling residents to leave.

A lot of residents in communities that use Gate Sentry are in their 80’s– some are even in their 90’s. These residents have never owned a smartphone. All the communities with an older demographic have explained that the transition to Gate Sentry has been seamless because the Gate Sentry app and desktop platform are extremely user-friendly and easy-to-use interfaces. Additionally, on average, 86% of residents use the Gate Sentry app or desktop platform in communities. 

Before switching to Gate Sentry, a gated community in Phoenix had been dealing with theft, vandalization, unauthorized visitors, and long lines at the guard house during Halloween. The property manager explained that the year before, there were 450 visitors, which resulted in a four-hour wait line at the gate. The next year, the community switched to Gate Sentry. With Gate Sentry, the community could keep the lines moving at all times and seamlessly enter the 500 + guests. The property manager explained that the residents, visitors, and guards were thrilled. 

At a community in Texas, there was an accident right outside the gate–a truck was too overzealous when trying to enter the community. While the guards sent out an email to all residents informing them of the issue, it was ineffective, and many residents began to line up at the gate instead of using the back entrance. The following year, the community switched to Gate Sentry. During similar situations as the accident or power outages, the guards or property managers could quickly broadcast the news via text to residents. Texts were far more effective in reducing the number of residents going to the unavailable gate. The property manager explained that during power outages, often, they wouldn’t be able to send an email, so having the text option was a game changer for the community and resident satisfaction.