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.