Seven Ways to Impact the Customer's Experience

We know that a customer’s experience impacts their purchasing behavior.  In fact, in a 2014 study, Accenture found "two-thirds (64 percent) of consumers...said they switched providers in at least one industry due to poor customer service." The good news is, this doesn’t have to be the case as there are lots of ways we can impact the customer's experience in a positive way:

1. Ask customers for feedback. You might already offer surveys at your community, but consider opportunities you have to ask for 'real time' feedback during conversations with customers.  Create opportunities during daily interactions to ask customers about their experience, and if there is anything you can do to improve it.  Ensure you listen to their responses and then follow-through with any items where you can help.

2. Be honest and remember it's okay to say "I don't know." Many people feel that if they are asked a question they must have an exact and perfect answer in that moment.  It's perfectly acceptable to respond with "I don't know the answer, but please allow me to find out and follow up with you.". Customers would prefer to hear that response and receive a follow-up at a later time than the alternative!

3. Build a sense of community. Ask residents for a list activities or events they would like to see offered at the community and then enlist the help of those residents in getting the word out.  If budget is an issue, focus on events that won't break the bank such as potluck meals or a game night.  These are perfect ways to encourage residents to get to know one another and help build a sense of community.

4. Designate an evening for a team meet and greet. For new or existing residents, these events provide an excellent opportunity for the team and the residents to get to know each other. It can also serve as a venue for residents to ask questions or offer valuable feedback. 

5. Celebrate special occasions. Just like you celebrate with your teams when they have a birthday or a special event in their life, extend that same opportunity to residents.  Residents have many happy occasions to celebrate and receiving a card, or a 'happy birthday' message as they are walking down the hallway is always a nice treat. 

6. Learn your residents’ names. Remembering someone's name is a wonderful way to make them feel important and underscores that the people who work there really know who they are.  Teams might even have a contest to see how many names they can remember to help build recognition quickly.

7.  Don’t forget the furry friends! Provide designated areas for pet owners to walk their pets, and encourage pet owners to get to know one another. Plan social events for pets and their owners such as 'yappy hour' where everyone can meet and mingle.  This getting to know you activity has a side benefit; it helps create a sense of pride within the community. When pet owners know one another, they interact in more positive ways and even go out of their way to help maintain the pet areas.

It’s easy to positively impact your customers’ experiences. Hopefully this list helps you get started today!