You Didn't Have To Do That

I'm really impressed by the development company that I recently bought an investment property from, Mosaic Homes.

First of all, they did a good job. The quality of construction is great, the development is well designed, most of the project was completed on schedule...

And they also seem to understand the concept of customer service. They see the value in building trust and a good reputation.

For example, they've been extremely accommodating with any requests for repairs or adjustments to the property since purchasing it -- all those little things that are technically covered by the warranty, but that they could probably make excuses about and try to get out of fixing.

They've also been very good at proactively keeping in touch. During construction and after, it wasn't unusual to receive little thank you cards and updates ("Don't worry about all the flooding concerns in the news lately. Here's some info from our surveyors..."). Two weeks ago, the strata held their first AGM and not only did several representatives from Mosaic participate, but they also treated the owners to a few snacks and beverages afterwards.

All of these are nice touches and, really, they're things that every company should be doing for its valued customers. But in this case I'm particularly impressed because there's not much direct, financial benefit to doing so. Very few of the property owners will be buying another place anytime soon. There's really not much chance of gaining repeat business, and therefore little need for "retention" or "loyalty" efforts.

But... they get it. They recognize that the handful of us who will be buying again will probably seriously consider other developments by the same company. They recognize that it's important to build a general consensus that "Mosaic is a good company to work with" in the marketplace and within their own industry. They know that people talk. They know that bad vibes can be as dangerous to a company as an actual, tangible mistake can be.

So, if this company has figured it out, why do so many others - especially those that actually have a direct, financial incentive to build long-term customer relationships - fail to do so?

Okay, I'm sure they make a fairly good profit on each property the sell. So it's not a big deal, financially, for them to take these extra steps. But since when has "we can't afford that" been the only obstacle to doing the right thing?

My guess is that most companies just can't be bothered. Too many are run by accountants and analysts who can't get their minds past the potential (or lack thereof) for immediate, obvious, direct returns. They see "customer service" as a necessary expense to put out fires, not as an opportunity to invest in gaining new business or extending a customer relationship.