My favorite soft drink is Coke Zero. It doesn’t have the bitterness of Diet Coke and tastes very close to regular Coca-Cola without the calories. I now ask for it by name at restaurants-and am finding that many restaurants are offering it in addition to Diet Coke which makes me happy!

Why am I telling you this?

The thing I don’t like about Coke Zero is that it’s kind of pricey. In our local supermarket a 12-pack of Coke Zero may be about $6.00 or so, if it’s not on sale. For an entrepreneur with a family- that feels like a luxury item, especially since soda has no nutritional value whatsoever, to spend our money on consistently.

But, I still like the Coke Zero taste, so what do I do? I buy the store brand version of Coke Zero. To put it nicely the store brands are the knock-off versions of famous products that people love, but since they don’t have the name brand in it, they’re cheaper. The store brand version is about $2.50 to $3.00 for a 12 pack, which the frugal part of me loves. And…and…it tastes really close to Coke Zero!

How this applies to you

When the supermarket created the knock-off of Coke Zero I’m assuming they “reverse-engineered” (copied) it, determined what the ingredients were and then made their own version. You can do the same thing too!

You are in the customer service field. Whether you’re a front line sales associate, community manager, maintenance manager, technician, c-suite executive etc. you are in the business of keeping customers happy. Instead of trying to reinvent the customer service experience and trying to come up with a bunch of new ideas, why not observe what other people already do, make adjustments for this industry and implement the idea.

Let me give you some examples…

Starbucks: The first time someone ordered a drink that was fully customized (something like an "upside down Carmel macchiato with 2 pumps and whip) I was blown away because I didn’t see this on the menu! What exactly is upside down??? Yet the barista seemed to know exactly what the customer wanted.

The tip: Find ways to let your customers customize their experience. It can be as simple as having a lot of options at your coffee bar or giving them multiple ways to create a service request. When taking someone on our, customize the experience for their unique personality, needs, wants and desires. Be creative and have fun!

Amazon Prime: I love the convenience of Amazon prime. Products arrive quickly and are brought to my front door. The convenience of it has completely jaded me to having to wait for anything to be delivered. 

The tip: Your residents want things done quickly and on their terms-not yours. Think about the areas where you can speed things up for the resident. Can you give the resident more autonomy and independence in how they submit work orders, pick up packages, make a request, so that they're not dependent on someone having to physically be in the office to answer the phone or speak with them.

Disney: Did you know that Disney "cast members" at their theme parks are all taught how to point during their introductory training at Disney University? Apparently pointing with only one finger is considered offensive in many cultures, so cast members point with at least two fingers, or their whole hand. 

The tip: The first tip is the obvious ... when you have to point, point the Disney way! Secondly, the takeaway here is that Disney has taken the time to give their people key information they need to succeed. So many times leaders just expect their people to know something and don't take the time to actually equip them for success. Disney is renowned for it's level of service-and they make sure to teach their standard and expectation to everyone who works for them. 

Your turn!

Why companies have provided you with amazing service…what can you learn from them and apply to your community today?