I love everything about Panera Bread. One day, I stopped in for a quick bite and to check my email. I had never been to this particular location before and I was a little surprised at how disheveled the store appeared to be. Typically, Panera is organized and their staff is always in a serving spirit. Well, they were not very welcoming and my overall impression on this day was not a good one at all.
After placing my order, I sat down and turned on my laptop. As I tried to connect to the internet, a survey request appeared on their home page.
Usually, I decline the request but on this day, I decided to leave my comments about the store and the staff. After answering a few short questions, I clicked submit and proceeded to eat my lunch.
About ten minutes later, my cell phone rang. It was the Manager asking me if I was still in the store. I told him yes and he came out of the kitchen and sat down at my table. He sincerely apologized for my less than stellar experience and told me they were short two team members that day and had just finished their lunchtime rush, which he attributed to the appearance of the store and the poor service. He then said while he didn’t offer that as an excuse and every customer deserved better service, he wanted to personally let me know that this is not what Panera was about and asked what he could do to set things right. I told him that him talking to me was good enough.
He then offered a free pastry and said to try his location again the next time I was in the area. As he walked back to the kitchen, I thought of how that short conversation was so impactful. Taking the opportunity to immediately address my concern was something he didn’t have to do. In fact, many companies never contact their customers. Not only did the conversation change my opinion of that location and its service, but what really stood out was the speed in which my survey was read and acted upon.
We saw the same results with our Today’s Online Renter Study. Over 51.7% of all respondents felt a community provided great customer service when they respond to online reviews and 48.9% said a response showed the community really cares about its residents.
The services we offer at ApartmentRatings and SatisFacts give our clients the opportunity to make remarkable recoveries every day. Addressing the needs and concerns of residents demonstrates value and appreciation while creating long-term resident loyalty.