What is your purple goldfish?

Thanks to @barrymoltz, I just read the @9INCHMarketing ebook: “In Search of Your Purple Goldfish*,” by Stan Phelps. It is brief (only 38 pages), and it is worth the read.

 

Unlike my "Puking Baby Policy", the concept of a Purple Goldfish is something that CAN be proceduralized. In fact, that is a key ingredient. A Purple Goldfish is something every customer gets...
 
I won’t try to give you the entire concept (read the book, and add your ideas to the Purple Goldfish Project!), but in essence, the “purple goldfish” is something above and beyond that you consistently give to your customer that sets you apart. Think of Southwest (your bags fly free), the "baker's dozen," the warm cookies you get every time you check into a DoubleTree hotel, or for those of you who have ordered from Zappos, their VIP upgrade with free overnight shipping after your 2nd order.

 

Phelps contends there is no such thing as ‘meeting expectations,’ in customer service anymore. We either fail to meet expectations, or we exceed them. Meeting them is a thing of the past and it is NOT ENOUGH.

 

Read the eBook, (see some ideas starting on page 28) and think about what your purple goldfish are. Here are some ideas from some Campus Advantage properties to get you started:

1. Move-ins… Having cold water and snacks in the apartments for people as they are moving in. Having a dedicated staff member during the move-ins whose job is simply to hand out ice pops on a hot day.
2. Door to door package delivery… instead of making residents come to the front desk, we deliver packages to them at their room or apartment
3. Milk & cookie carts during finals week.
4. Every team member, from CA to porter to GM provides a friendly greeting 100% of the time to any person we encounter on a property, prospect or resident.
5. Concierge booklet at the front desk with everything from pizza delivery numbers to who to call if you are struggling in your physics class.

These are just a few to get you started… ask yourself, what will stand out? What will people tell stories about?

 

What else are you doing that qualifies as a “purple goldfish?” What else SHOULD you be doing that will make you stand out?