Do you believe a resident’s experience ends as soon as the lease is signed? Or do you believe the resident’s experience only takes place during a customer service related transaction?
Believe it or not, the customer experience is a rather complex journey for your residents, and it never expires. An incomplete or difficult customer experience can lead to a decrease in leases and frustrated residents.
We believe that the customer experience is the brand. And it is just as important as your logo or brand name. It is, after all, the experience, whether it the user experience of your website, the feel of your leasing office, or your response time to phone calls and emails. Because there are so many aspects of the customer experience, it is important to develop a customer experience audit to ensure there aren’t any touch points overlooked, as well as to consistently improve the experience.
The simplest and most effective CX audit is a content audit. Content is many things: blogs, social media posts, ads, property signage, etc. You must look at all channels, including those you don’t own. Content is everywhere and it is typically the very first impression of your brand. It is a critical element in how community services are promoted and it inspires brand interaction and resident retention. Because of that, we have to ensure your content is meeting your prospects’ and residents’ needs. Are there any gaps that are resulting in a poor experience or loss of engagement?
When conducting your customer experience audit, you will want to inventory and evaluate the following:
- Print. This includes signage, direct mail, flyers hanging in your mailroom. Assume print is anything you can touch.
- Web. This includes your website, but there’s so much more. ILSs, search results pages, review sites, local listings, and blogs are a few examples.
- Customer Support. Think about your support that is both online and offline. Including online help, chat if you have it, scripts that may be in place, and any automated emails and phone systems.
- Social Media. This isn’t only textual content. It also includes images and videos! For example, does that meme properly represent your brand?
Once you know what content you have, you can audit it against the customer journey. Customer retention isn’t a single event that only happens at lease renewal. It’s an ongoing process that happens throughout the customer experience. Developing and utilizing a customer experience audit will enhance your business processes and create loyal and happy residents.