Jonathan Saar, VP of Marketing for an excellent training program, The Training Factor, wrote about something called The Lagniappe Effect last year.

Lagniappe, by definition is: A small gift given a customer by a merchant at the time of a purchase; broadly: something given or obtained gratuitously or by way of good measure.

Jonathan mentioned ways to take that definition and apply it to our service in the apartment industry to give our prospects and residents a better customer experience. As Jonathan explained it, “Part of the definition states that someone can receive an unexpected or indirect benefit. It’s kind of like the expression “a baker’s dozen.” So what is the application for us? Do our residents or customers receive something “unexpected” from us? When we go that extra mile for them, they will not forget it!”

Jonathan’s team offered great ideas for stepping up the customer experience and inspired the Mills community to do the same. So we asked our associates to share a personal story or provide a tip that they have personally used that exceeded a resident’s or prospect’s expectations. We received many great tips and stories and felt that it was important to share them to keep the inspiration flowing through our wonderful industry.

From where I’m positioned in the office, by the window, I can usually see who is coming into the office before they actually make it in.  I have made a dedicated effort to learn the residents, not only by name, but address too.  Usually when residents are coming in late in the day it’s to pick up packages.  I try to grab their package and have it ready for them before they come into the office.   This regularly catches them off guard, because not only do I know who they are, but also saves them time when they’re running in after a long day at work.  They seem to genuinely appreciate this.

We can’t be all things to all people.  Sometimes in a sales situation, you just have to acknowledge that you don’t have what the person is really looking for in an apartment.  Maybe it’s not the location they wanted, the parking availability they need, or the closet space that allows them a separate shoe closet.  But instead of just letting them walk out the door,  pull up a website, show them other options, call your sister site for availability or with questions, and help them do some leg work.  It may not sell your property today, but selling your brand will pay off in the future.

When you are touring someone, you learn things about them. When they move in, put something in the apartment that you remember talking to them about. They will love it!

We have partnered with a local pizza place. When we have a new move in, the pizza place will bring a pizza box with a gift certificate for a free pizza, plates, napkins, and forks. We set it up in the apartment saying that we know that moving is hard work – have a pizza on us!

Property Management is much like raising children…teach them what you expect, follow through with what you say you will do, practice mutual respect, surprise them, and remember to smile and have fun every day!

I ran a Dare to Care campaign for a month… the message was to Pay It Forward! I dressed up in a spotted dog costume and the team and I walked around the property randomly approaching residents with a roll of quarters, a bottle of Tide and bounce. Each time we gave out something we included a token that said “Dare To Care… Pay It Forward!” We took this outside the property as well by leaving money on Netflix machines with our message. Maintenance contributed their time also and would leave Dare To Care bags that included Chap stick, Ice scraper, sanitizer and Vitamin C packets in an apartment after completing a work order. The feedback was remarkable. The message was simple but what an amazing effect it had on the emotions of our residents!

I had a resident who was in the military and traveled quite often.  She would always ask us to feed her cat and check on her apartment for her as her family lived out of town and she was not from this area, which we were happy to do. She was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and spent her last several months here on earth quite sick, often she couldn’t even feed her own cat.  My assistant and I took turns checking on her when hospice wasn’t available, and would often stay for long visits after hours.  She always said she was grateful for moving into our community to have such caring people look out for her. I always look at residents as if they each have their own story; you never know who you might be helping and just a simple smile can sometimes help make someone’s day.

We have many residents who are from out of town, so we make the extra effort to make them feel at home. We take people out for birthdays, we pet sit, and even have get-togethers  for holidays.

My customer service tip is one that I live by. Be genuine. When you truly care about those you are helping, they can tell. Even if you can’t give the answer they want, showing them that you care about their needs, concerns, and issues really makes a difference. They will remember you for that.

There is a resident who is not satisfied with an area between her apartment and the parking lot that floods during heavy rains.  It makes her unhappy because she can’t walk through or around the water without it soaking her shoes. At the same time, she has created gardens in front of the two apartments in front of hers and across the strip of ground next to the sidewalk.  She has no land around her own apartment.  The landscape that she has created is pretty and very pleasing to prospects that see it as they walk by. Some of these plants and flowers were purchased by her, while others were taken from around the community that we have planted.  One day I saw her with a little bucket and shovel in the middle of our circle in front of the clubhouse digging up flowers.  I wondered what she was going to do with them until I saw her a couple of days later planting them in front of the apartments. One day, when the landscapers came to plant flowers, I asked them to give some to her. She wasn’t home, so I set them at her front door.  The next day I saw her planting the flowers in her garden in front of the apartments.  She looked up at me and said, “I know these flowers came from you.  I know what you did.  Thank you.”  She had a big smile on her face. So while I can’t fix everything, I can certainly help spread happiness by paying attention and being a little personable to our residents.

These are just a few of the many ways to spill out amazing service and provide memorable experiences that our residents will not forget. A huge thank you to all who participated and shared a tip or story. For those new to the industry who have yet to create your own unique story, we hope these ideas provide you with some inspiration.

Feel free to share your own customer service story in the comments below. It’s all about spreading the inspiration.

This post is inspired by Jonathan Saar and The Training Factor. Click here to read The Lagniappe Effect on Resident Retention.

Photo courtesy of drewsmarketingminute.com