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Dec 28
2009
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The Little Things Are Sometimes Iconic
Posted by: Heather Blume on Dec 28, 2009 14:34 Tagged in: Untagged
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When I first moved to Washington state, I went on a quest to find a Mexican restaurant that had decent chips and salsa. It seems like it would be an easy thing to find, but, alas, it took me almost two years to find a place that I liked where the chips didn't have too much salt on them or the salsa wasn't just large chunks of vegetables without any "sauce" factor to it.. Now that I've found that restaurant, I don't stray too far unless I'm outvoted on Mexican dining options. Deciding dinner with friends IS a democracy, after all.
Last night while dining with our friends, Mike, amateur philosopher and observer of the human condition, pointed out something about the economy. "No matter how bad it's gotten, they still give you free chips and salsa," he said.
It's true. In a year of record cut backs and trimming of any fat that's visible, there are some icons that, if we're smart, we don't touch. Sometimes it's something as small as chips and salsa.. This place hadn't changed the chips it was using to something cheaper, or the salsa to a less pricey brand (possibly because there were no cheaper options and I just like low grade chips and dip!), and it never stopped giving free refills on the basket. And it didn't raise the price on the rest of the food to compensate for losses this last year either.
Ask yourself what little things are iconic about your property? What do you have/do/provide that others in your area don't? If your answer dances in the realm of, "I don't know," maybe this is a good time to think about what YOU can do to create iconic ideas. Whether it's the way you welcome a resident, the way your maintenance team works with residents in their homes, or even the cookies we put out or the drinks we offer.
Iconic means it's remembered, it stands out and it's recognized. It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be flashy, and it doesn't have to be expensive. It can be as simple as chips and salsa.
Last night while dining with our friends, Mike, amateur philosopher and observer of the human condition, pointed out something about the economy. "No matter how bad it's gotten, they still give you free chips and salsa," he said.
It's true. In a year of record cut backs and trimming of any fat that's visible, there are some icons that, if we're smart, we don't touch. Sometimes it's something as small as chips and salsa.. This place hadn't changed the chips it was using to something cheaper, or the salsa to a less pricey brand (possibly because there were no cheaper options and I just like low grade chips and dip!), and it never stopped giving free refills on the basket. And it didn't raise the price on the rest of the food to compensate for losses this last year either.
Ask yourself what little things are iconic about your property? What do you have/do/provide that others in your area don't? If your answer dances in the realm of, "I don't know," maybe this is a good time to think about what YOU can do to create iconic ideas. Whether it's the way you welcome a resident, the way your maintenance team works with residents in their homes, or even the cookies we put out or the drinks we offer.
Iconic means it's remembered, it stands out and it's recognized. It doesn't have to be big, it doesn't have to be flashy, and it doesn't have to be expensive. It can be as simple as chips and salsa.
Heather is a consultant, speaker, and trainer in the Seattle area with BTLD Consulting. Check out more of her property management ideas at www.behindtheleasingdesk.com !
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Comments (2)
Daisy-
I can't quite get in to the Guac yet... I'm told it's an acquired taste
so perhaps there's still hope for me yet.
Mike Brewer raised an interesting thought on my main blog page as well about this post. He was talking about how people in St. Louis used to charge extra fees for pool and gym passes, which made me think that we can become known for something iconic bad just as easily as something iconic good...and I'm betting the bad is harder to shake.
I can't quite get in to the Guac yet... I'm told it's an acquired taste
so perhaps there's still hope for me yet. Mike Brewer raised an interesting thought on my main blog page as well about this post. He was talking about how people in St. Louis used to charge extra fees for pool and gym passes, which made me think that we can become known for something iconic bad just as easily as something iconic good...and I'm betting the bad is harder to shake.
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What Do You Think?
As far as mexican food goes - I'm a tex-mex addict myself and LOVE ships, salsa and most of all GUACAMOLE. If a place has good guacamole - I'm SOOOO THERE!
-Daisy Nguyen