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Feb 24
2009
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Resident Retention: (Rolling of the eyes) "We don't DO that"
Posted by: Jen Piccotti on Feb 24, 2009 01:00 |
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Over the weekend, my husband and I took our 10-month old for a stroll to take in the rather nice weather and also to stop in a coffee joint that begins with a "St" and ends with "arbucks." Because it was late in the afternoon, we decided to order basic decaf coffees to avoid caffeine that may make it difficult to fall asleep later. As I stood in front of the barista and placed my order, he actually rolled his eyes and then cocked his head toward me as though addressing an annoying child and said, "Um, we don't serve decaf after noon," as though this was a given... like not wearing white shoes after Labor Day. Or is it Memorial Day? Whatever.
He continued to stand there and stare at me and glanced at his non-existent wristwatch as though I was purposefully wasting his time. I began to feel that I was on some 'Candid Camera' episode, the whole thing seemed so ridiculous. As I desperately scanned the menu board, searching for anything with minimal - to - no caffeine, he finally suggested a decaf Americano. I went with it. The fact that I paid with a gift card nearly pushed him over the edge, and it showed when he said, sarcastically, "Would you like a receipt?"
I should have said yes.
Fortunately, I was in the state of mind that I found the entire transaction very funny. Could he seriously be that put out by my lack of knowledge of the brewing times of caf and decaf coffees? Was it so gauche to pay with a gift card? Was it truly necessary to offer a receipt when no cash/credit/debit was exchanged?
However, I am not inclined to go back to that place that rhymes with Blar-ducks. If I had been having a mediocre day or, heaven-forbid, a bad day, or if I had been by myself, I would have been humiliated. Totally unnecessarily.
Part of being a service based organization is to make your customer (or resident) feel at ease. One of the top 5 qualities that impacts a resident renewal decision is the office staff being courteous and professional. I would say it's one of the top 5 reasons I choose to return (or not) to any place of business. Basic courtesy calls for restraint in the areas of eye-rolling and sarcasm.
As property management professionals, we deal with routine (for us) situations daily, weekly and monthly. These situations are (for us) old hat. For the resident, however, it may be an entirely new situation that is very personally frustrating or confusing. It is our job to listen to the situation politely, provide education or explanation when needed, and offer solutions or alternatives of which the resident most likely is unaware. The resident gets the information needed, the team member has hopefully had a positive interaction and reinforced the relationship, and everybody wins.
This is how I would have liked to see that coffee conversation go... it's not dramatic, just pleasant:
Me: I'd like 2 decafs please.
Him: I'm sorry, we don't brew decaf after noon any more. However, we do have a decaf option with the Americano.
Me: That sounds good. 2 of those please.
Him: I see you're paying with a gift card. Someone must think the world of you!
Me: Thanks. They do. You've been so helpful. I appreciate it.
Him: My pleasure. Your order will be ready in just a minute under that sign to your left. Have a great day!
Cheesy, I know. But it would have been nice...
Big companies like Starbucks need to be careful; when they start treating their customers badly their customers will move on to the competition. How difficult is it to provide decaf anyway?
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And you're right, big companies, small companies, apartment communities and all service providers must be just that: service providers. This is key to retention!
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Because of this, I started going to this little coffee shop that's a mom and pop stand. It's cheaper, they smile at me, make my drink correctly AND they remember my name. All of the things that keep me coming back to them, also keep me from going back to the green table umbrellas. Ironically, the basics of all of these are ALSO the same reason I renew my lease at the end of a lease term.
Good post Jen!
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Hooray for the Mom and Pop coffee shops of the world... and to all those leasing teams who make their residents feel like the valuable assets they are!
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By the way, my four year old son loves the Arches' cheese burgers. Until recently, Mondays were our errand running and Library day. We would often pick up McDonald's, and would find a fun place to have a picnic lunch before we headed on to our next stop. We went through a particular drive-through 90% of the time, and this particular drive-through had a regular order-taker at the mic during the lunch hour. He was so personable, and would often say hello to my son when he could hear him singing songs or making noise in the background. I'm telling you that this young man could upsell like nobody's business. I honestly had a hard time saying no when he would tell me the great deal of the day...even if I had no interest in Chocolate Chip Cookies or an espresso or extra fries, etc. And I always loved that he would change my order if he could find a way to do it cheaper. Funny how he could get me to spend MORE money by asking questions, saving me money, and just having a great attitude. He is gone now, and I miss his smiling face and chipper attitude.
Great post. Hope we all take it to heart.
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http://www.chicagotribune.com/...405.story
Headline: Starbucks to stop continually brewing decaf coffee after noon