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?

Do you have a puking baby policy?

My family is sick. The stomach bug has hit. Hard. It started Friday with Grace, my 3.5 year old, then hit my wife and 1.5 year old (Lydia) today. Today, I left work early to take the girls to the doctor.

I have been trying to find a part to fix my lawn sprinkler system, but the place that carries them is a commercial outlet that primarily serves contractors and isn't open on the weekends. Since it is a Tuesday, and I had left work early, I decided to stop by with the girls on the way to the doctor. I showed up at DBC Irrigation Supply with both girls in tow. Grace was crying, and I held Lydia in one arm as I waited for the staff member to find the replacement solenoid valve I was looking for.

Just as the staff member came back to the counter with the replacement part, Lydia started to throw up on me. It started small, then turned into something out of the exorcist.  Thankfully, my shirt caught pretty much all of it, and the floor was spared. This is where my customer service story starts.

Immediately, 2 different employees came toward me with towels to help clean Lydia (and me) off. Another one went to wet some paper towels. Then, yet another employee asked my shirt size and went into a back room, returning with a T-Shirt.

I left with my solenoid, but more importantly, I left as a raving fan and evangelist for DBC Irrigation Supply.

So, what's the customer service takeaway here? Most of you won't have vomiting children in your place of business on a regular basis (I hope). This type of customer service is different.

Today, I experienced a type of customer service that can't be proceduralized. This was an industrial outlet, and I can almost guarantee I was the first person who ever walked into this supply warehouse and had a baby puke all over him... yet the employees responded with more initiative and empowerment than I would expect in many high class establishments.

This is a type of customer service that can't be planned for. You can't create a puking baby policy. This type of customer service requires employees who are empowered to make decisions on the fly that reflect your core values, your ethos as a company.

Have you trained your employees to do whatever it takes to serve customers? Do they feel empowered to give away a tshirt?

At Campus Advantage, we have a philosophy that empowers each of our employees, whether they are student staff or corporate team members to do whatever it takes to serve our customers well.

Get together with your team today and discuss your Puking Baby Policy.

PS... If you are ever in need of irrigation supplies, you know where to go.