Starbucks Guide to Resident Feedback

I know there are plenty of Starbucks haters out there, but one of the main reasons they are so plentiful is that they actually get it right most of the time. In another example of understanding their customer, they have started up MyStarbucksIdea.Com, a website designed to hear directly about what their customers want in their Starbucks experience. Anybody can put up their own idea, which gets votes by other Starubucks patrons. Right now, the top ideas revolve around punch card systems with free drinks for frequent customers, free wi-fi, and a green initiative regarding gift card redemption. There is also an incredibly inventive idea that allows the customer to put their normal drink order on their card, swipe the card at the register, and effectively reduce the order-taking process to one simple step.

What's even better about this program is that Starbucks puts notes on the ideas saying which ones are being implemented or considered. It gets the customers feeling as though their thoughts and opinions really count, and the voting system means that it's incredibly easy to take part in shaping their favorite coffee shop.

Now let's compare that with most apartment communities. Does the average community take any steps to truly find out what their residents want most in their home? Or do they effectively bury their head in the sand and just deliver what they think residents might possibly want? Here are the positives to having this type of feedback:

1) Your residents will feel more in control. The more steps they take in decisions regarding their home, the more they will view it as a "home" rather than a transitionary stop before homeownership.

2) Your initiatives will be much more targeted and accurate. Without getting feedback from your residents, you end up relying upon what the staff thinks the residents want, which is often incorrect.

3) Your residents are there more than you are. You have hundreds of people at a certain location longer than your 3 or 4 people in your office. They are well in-tune with what is going on in their little corner of the community and, therefore, can give excellent feedback.

4) 400 minds are better than 4. Some of the ideas on the Starbucks site were incredibly cost effective, and even created vast efficiencies. Although you will surely get a few "give every resident a bar of gold" type of posts, you will probably get many more that are quite valid and great ideas.

So I'm sure you are worrying about that one resident who you can never make happy. Let's say that person writes "fire the onsite staff because they are all useless." Pretty scary proposition, huh? This is where that whole "sticking your head in the sand" part comes into play. If you offer great service to your residents, this post is not going to get any votes and will essentially get buried below the legitimate suggestions. If, however, it does get a lot of votes, then guess what? Maybe you need to fire the staff!! If all of your customers say that your onsite team is doing a pitiful job, then something has got to change. So by thinking you are safe by not asking tough questions, you are just ignoring the facts - I hope that sand tastes good!