The Patchwork Prospect

My Grandma took up quilting in her mid-fifties. After deciding to go after her goal of graduating from college and becoming an elementary school teacher, she thought it was time for a new challenge. And so, quilting it was! She gave me one when I took off for college. It served as my bedspread in all my dorm rooms. She made one for the birth of each of my 2 daughters. Over the years, her work has become more intricate and bold. Not only does she choose the colors, prints and sizes of squares for each quilt, she now hand crafts and works in embroidered squares. If you've ever seen a quilter at work, it's always interesting to see how incredibly symmetrical and clean the lines are. What the world sees is nothing short of perfection. But turn an unfinished quilt over and you see all the dirty work. Seam allowances are varied, the thread may have become knotted and gnarled in this or that section. The square that was beautifully embroidered on one side is a lumpy, mangled mess on the back side.

The recipient isn't intended to see that part, however. The batting and finally the backing are sewn on to hide the internal controlled chaos.  Once finished, all you can see is beauty and precision.

Bunny's quilt split at the seam recently. It has been used, washed and loved so much in such a short time, we've already started to wear it out. As I was handing it over to my Mom to be repaired (I didn't trust my own needle skills!), I saw a glimpse of that internal chaos of this beautiful work of art and it made me think about how this translates into real life. I do a lot of coaching for the apartment industry, but the concepts apply to any industry.

When a prospect visits an apartment community for the first time, often times all they see is the care and precision of the office and maintenance teams. The market window is colorful and picture perfect. The model is a dream. The staff is so friendly, "Have a freshly baked cookie! Here's some cold bottled water!" They sign the lease, in love with thoughts of their new home.

And then they move in.

In many cases, the quilt is complete. While not as "Wow"-inducing as the model, their new home is sparkling and well-maintained. The landscaping around their building may not be as colorful or full as by the office, but it's well-tended and very tidy. The staff might not offer cookies and cold beverages at every interaction, but they're friendly, helpful and responsive.

Then there are some cases when the quilt is not complete, and the internal chaos is clear. The new home looks as though it hasn't been entered since the last resident walked out the door. Appliances don't work. All the light bulbs are missing. It's difficult to reach anyone at the office. The batting and backing are missing completely.

It is nearly impossible to maintain the honeymoon period of any new resident or customer forever. Reality sets in and it just isn't realistic to hand out cookies and water to everyone you see. We become familiar with each other, and what was once an energetic, "Hello, Mrs. Anderson!" becomes a basic, ""Hey Angie." All of that can be okay as long as we truly take care of the quilt, i.e. the customer relationship.  When there is a problem, apologize and work to find a resolution. If it's been awhile since you've seen them, check in.  If you made a promise and then the situation changed, be honest and let them know. The prospect-turned-resident doesn't ever need to see the sometimes messy or confusing inner workings of the operations of an apartment community.  It's our job to see to those things, to make it better, and create a beautiful and seamless environment for the residents to enjoy.

Sure, there will be a tear here and there. But those can always be mended and even give more character to what was already beautiful.

 

How Satisfied Am I? Does It Matter?



A Place Where "They" Care

Call me a glutton for punishment or call me someone dedicated to her line of work.  Either way, I got a little curious about the outside survey world and decided to respond to every single survey requested of me for about 60 days. In all, my experiment lasted from December 2012 through the first week of February 2013. I wanted to see:

      1. Would I ever win any of those drawings most companies use as incentives to complete their survey?

      2. How many companies would respond to my completion of their survey?

Over the course of those two months, I faithfully stored up my receipts for grocery stores, drugstores, drive-thru’s, department stores, and the post office. And each evening I would follow the instructions on those receipts to go online and complete those surveys. I clicked on survey links for hotel stays, flights, online purchases, and website opinion surveys and let them know what I thought.  I even answered a few phone surveys (as painful as they were) regarding local radio stations and my banking experience. All told, I completed over 60 surveys.

February passed, and each day I would trot along to the mailbox hoping for an announcement of my winning at least ONE of the drawings I had supposedly been entered in. Unfortunately, the answer to my first question above was a resounding, “No. You will not win a single drawing.” Oh well.

I also checked each of my email accounts daily, wondering when I would hear from some of these organizations who seemed all too eager for me to take time out of my jam-packed day and let them know in detail what I thought of their product/service, their employees, the overall customer experience, etc. The answer?

One.

Out of 60-plus completed surveys, I received one single response.  And the organization is now one of my favorite places to rave about. Let me introduce you to The Meritage Resort and Spa in Napa, California.

I had the pleasure of staying at The Meritage during the 1^st MultiFamily Social Media  Summit held on January 30 – February 1, 2013. I was immediately impressed with the friendliness and eager-to-please attitude of each and every staff member. My experience during my entire stay.  Warm, friendly, helpful, and attentive.

Cut to my return home. As I was completing my expense report, I realized I had misplaced my hotel statement. I immediately emailed the hotel, provided all my information and requested an emailed copy. A day went by and I sent a second email to a different email address with the same request. No response. Odd, I thought. Especially after my in-person experience.

And then their customer satisfaction survey arrived in my Inbox. Well, it was officially February, but I decided to complete one last survey in my experiment hoping, beyond hope, that I would receive at least one acknowledgement of all the hours(by this point) that I had spent on surveys over the previous 60 days!

I gave them rave reviews. The resort with the vineyards – such beautiful views!  The staff – so wonderful! The food – delicious!  The bill - …  Well, here is where I’m a bit ashamed of myself, but you must understand by this point I was convinced that no one read their surveys, so what did it matter?

On the topic of “Accuracy of bill” I gave them the lowest possible rating.

It was wrong, I know. An outright falsehood, on my part. But I was hoping that this one out-of-place rating might catch someone’s attention and help me get a copy of my bill. I explained my rating in the comment section and provided the justification that you see above.  I asked again for a copy of my bill and provided every possible means of identifying my bill: confirmation #, check in/check out dates, first and last name, email, phone, etc.

Here is what I received in return 20 minutes later:

Dear Ms. Piccotti,

         I would like to apologize for the delay in receiving a copy of your statement.  This is the same email that we have on your profile, so I’m not sure why you hadn’t received it sooner.  I have attached a copy for your records.  If there is anything you need, please don’t hesitate to contact me directly.  Thank you so much for your time.  Have a beautiful day.

Best regards,

Matthew Loewenstein
Front Desk Supervisor
The Meritage Resort and Spa

A response! A response! They WERE just as wonderful as I remembered! And here’s the thing – the response was quick, there was an apology with no blame pointed back at me or any other staff member or system. He provided what I had asked for, and he opened the door to continue the conversation if I so desired! Short. Sweet. Perfection!

Because of this simple acknowledgement of my time and my concern, I am now the Meritage Spa and Resort’s #1 biggest fan. They walk the talk of customer service. They reach out for feedback (a.k.a. start a conversation) and when they receive an answer, they keep the conversation going!

This is the power of a true customer feedback system. Unfortunately, the vast, VAST majority of customer feedback systems are black holes of time, energy and money.  Why bother asking how a customer feels, if you have no intention of responding to their answer? No wonder this nation has survey fatigue! A customer answers one in good faith (and in the hopes of winning that $5,000 gift card!), and when there’s no acknowledgement (and no gift card), why would they bother with any more surveys? It’s the equivalent of walking into an office and enthusiastically saying hi to the receptionist and the receptionist purposely ignoring you. The next time you enter that office, would you even attempt to greet that receptionist again?

Do I believe in customer feedback? Yes! Do I believe surveys are a powerful way to connect with your customer and improve your level of service? Absolutely! But the silver bullet is to ensure that your request for feedback is recognized as the beginning of a conversation. If the customer takes their valuable time to respond, continue the conversation! That one act will create a loyal  - and incredibly delighted – customer! Take it from The Meritage Resort and Spa’s #1 Fan!

To visit The Meritage Resort and Spa:

Call: 707.251.1900

875 Bordeaux Way, Napa, CA 94558

www.themeritageresort.com

You won't regret it!

A French Artiste, A Cowgirl, And Me

Costumes for Halloween? For a stage production? Sign me up! Dressing up for work conferences, though?

 

*Sigh*

 

I don't know if it's all industries or just mine. There's this obsession with themes and dressing to the theme. In the past 4 months alone, I've been a French artiste.

 

Oui, that's me in the beret

 



and a cowgirl.

Please tell me they were kidding about the mechanical bull



 

They weren't kidding about the mechanical bull.

 

I guess for some, dressing up as someone or something else allows them to think in a different way, get out of their comfort zone, be open to different ideas or approaches. But even with all these creative juices flowing around me, the conferences always seem to still look like this.

 

 

 

Unless you're in the Action Sports industry, in which case your conferences and trade shows look like this.

 



 

I guess the thing to keep in mind is that for a Home Officer, conferences and trade shows, costumes and all, are a way to keep in touch with what's going on in the industry, keep up relationships with clients and vendors, and to get out of that cave. So, I guess, in the end, I'm willing to don those bell bottoms or pull on the leg warmers and costume with the best of them. Let's just hope they at least have a couple of drink tickets for me.





Road Warrior

I've been spending a lot of time in these settings over the past several weeks. It's conference and trade show season, folks! Stock up on business cards, get strategic with your airline, hotel and rental car reward programs, remember your iPhone, iPad and laptop chargers and hit the road!

In 2013, in just the first 2 months of the year I will hit such exotic destinations as Palm Springs, CA, Carefree, AZ, Napa, CA and Frisco, TX. Frisco? Yes, Frisco.

I'm speaking at most of these events and the hot topic of the moment is online reputation management. One thing I will say about being a keynote speaker in Napa:

There is no better gig than this! (Yes, that is a wine glass in CC Chapman's hand.)

Soldier on road warriors! You and your perpetually, partially packed bags. This craziness won't last forever!

Out of the Pens of Babes

Beads has been very interested in writing lately. She's 4 and 1/2 and wanting to get the show on the road as far as reading and writing are concerned. Recently, she asked her dad to help her write some sentences. She told him the sentences she wanted to write, and he spelled them out for her.  They were:

Dance to the music.
Watch the sunset.
Go get donuts.

The best to-do list I've ever seen.

Hello. My Name Is Jen

The rules of engagement are the same whether you work from home or commute to another work location. It's not about what you know. It's about Who you know. And one of the best ways you meet "Who's" is to connect with a professional association.

Regardless of your industry, I guarantee there is at least one, if not a dozen, applicable professional associations that could impact your working knowledge. This is one of the first things I did when I got my first jobby-job. My schooling was in quality assurance, and the association I heard of again and again was the American Society for Quality (ASQ). Within this international organization (despite its name), there are a variety of divisions that specialize in different fields. My interest was in Service organizations, so I joined the Service Quality Division of ASQ.  Their conferences provided me with real-life examples of my profession that I had not yet experienced in my budding career. And it was through these conferences that I met some amazing people who invited me (some might say "coerced" me) into joining a committee. (I'll just say that drinks may have been involved). In any case, by working on these committees I added many more skills to my arsenal: conference planning, booking speakers, budget-planning, strategic planning, newsletter editing, and more. 13 years later, the people I have met through this professional association are people that I feel comfortable turning to when I need someone to bounce a work idea off of. Some of these people have written professional recommendations for me based on the work I've done for the association. During my 2 years as an independent business consultant, I even got a couple of business referrals from this group.

In past years, I was much more involved and attended monthly local chapter meetings or worked on major initiatives, such as participating on the steering committee to create a Service Quality Body of Knowledge. These days, with a young family, I participate in other ways, but I do stay involved, whether through participating in the conference planning committee or editing the newsletter. There may even be a time when I simply exist as a member without committee responsibilities. The choice is mine. But the relationships, experiences and learning opportunities have been priceless - especially in times of job transition!

I'm also sure to attend many industry events. For me, that may mean attending the National Apartment Association's Education Conference and Exposition (this year's speaker is Richard Branson). Or the Apartment Internet Marketing conference, this year in Huntington Beach - practically my own back yard!  While I'm not naturally a networker, I understand the value in seeing people and being seen. It's a good feeling to walk into an event and see several people light up when they see you, and you light up in return! It's especially great to connect names with faces, especially as a teleworker. At these industry events I get to hug or shake hands with people with whom I have monthly calls. That personal connection makes the business relationship that much stronger. They can look me in the eye, chat about this situation or that challenge, share a bite to eat or a cocktail, and at the end of the interaction, they walk away feeling that much more confident that their company is in good hands with me.

There are other associations that I stay connected with, even if I'm not an official member. For example, I am on the email list for the International Association of Business Communicators because their monthly lunch meetings have incredible speakers that touch on topics I'm responsible for in my work. I may not be a member, but I'll pay their guest fee to attend some luncheons.

Do it. Search for professional associations in your industry. See if there is a local chapter. Attend a lunch meeting or an event. Introduce yourself. See what it has to offer you and your career development. See what you might have to offer them. You'll be surprised at the value you add to yourself and your organization!

30 Days of Surveys

It's beginning to look a lot like surveys, EVERYWHERE YOU GO.  Look at your receipt. There - at the bottom. A web site. A survey code. A bribe. (Except for the postal service. They just ask for your opinion out of the goodness of your heart.)

So I'm taking the challenge. For the next 30 days, I'm going to take every survey that is asked of me. Here's what I want to find out:

1. Will any one of these companies personally acknowledge my feedback?

2. Will I win a single one of the drawings that I will supposedly be entered into?

Frankly, I'm more interested in #1, reason being that I work for a customer satisfaction survey company. It's for a niche industry, but one of our primary focal points when training our clients and their teams is to respond to every single survey response they receive, whether the news is good, bad or ugly. Now, if the person responds anonymously, they can't be contacted. But if they provide their contact information, that would imply they are interested in hearing back, don't you think?

So we'll see what happens. I'll keep you posted.