Customer Service: The New Differentiator in Real Estate

I recently participated in the Ad Gully event in Kolkata, known as CMO Charcha, where the discussion centered around the importance of customer service in today’s dynamic market landscape. At Ambuja Neotia, we are committed to tailoring our customer service to meet the specific needs and preferences of different consumer segments. Due to the limited time and numerous speakers at the event, I could not delve deeply into our strategies. Hence, I decided to pen this blog to share how our Group has undertaken customer relationship management. Placing the customer at the focal point of our business is now no longer a strategy but a necessity.

The LISTEN Framework at Ambuja Neotia: A Strategic Approach to Customer Relationship Management

To truly tailor products and services that resonate with customers, the first and most important step is to LISTEN. At Ambuja Neotia, we take this literally and strategically, as each letter in LISTEN represents a critical stage in our customer relationship management process. This approach transforms our interactions, creating committed relationships instead of just transactional ones. Let’s explore each stage and understand how we craft our strategy to create customer delight, enhancing both our brand image and sales cycle.

L - Listen Actively: We utilize various mediums, methods, and technologies to listen to our customers. This includes surveys conducted throughout the customer lifecycle—from exploring the product, buying, delivery, and even after a year of residence, through focused group interviews. Our personalised customer service portal allows customers to raise issues, share feedback, and receive timely responses. AI-based chatbots registered with customers' mobile numbers automate FAQs. This active listening reveals how evolved and knowledgeable our customers are, offering us invaluable insights from architecture to creative thinking. Unhappy customers often become our greatest source of learning.

I – Interpret Insightfully: Interpreting data and information effectively is crucial. This skill set allows us to address gaps from project design to sales, marketing efforts, and after-sales services. Creating custom audiences, generating content with personalized AI-driven tools, media selection, and budget allocation all depend on this interpretation. Our team, akin to modern-day Sherlocks, constantly deciphers what our customers really want. In a competitive market where rivals are just a click away, this insight is invaluable.

S – Strategize Solutions: We prioritize unmet needs and preferences with potential long-term business impact. Utilizing cloud telephony services, social media comments, chatbot trends, and online feedback, we offer solutions like rooftop amenities, more community spaces, pet gardens, more sustainable practices, home offices and even handbooks for pet management within our complexes.

T - Tailor Responses: We follow up personally with customers to address their feedback and demonstrate responsiveness. Customers may forget what you did or said, but they never forget how you made them feel. Organizational culture and values play a pivotal role here. We ensure customers feel heard and delighted through personalized AI tools. We have tailored amenities for various age brackets, from tiny tots to senior citizens and even immobile customers.

E – Efficient Execution: We prioritize changes based on impact and feasibility, ensuring high-impact needs are met first. While implementing every suggestion immediately is impractical, we strive to balance feasibility with customer satisfaction.

N – Nurture Relationships: Consistent engagement and appreciation for feedback build strong customer relationships. Today, referral customers constitute over 30% of our new business. This has been possible because of our ability to nurture relationships. Customers don’t expect perfection; they expect issues to be fixed when it goes wrong.

"Our long-term customers joke that they’ve been part of the Ambuja Neotia family longer than some of our employees!"

We host community events to maintain ongoing dialogue with residents, gather continuous feedback, and align our offerings with customer needs and desires. Recognizing the trend of pet parenting, we’ve introduced pet parks and monthly pet-friendly events within our complexes, adding value to our community.

By following the LISTEN approach—Listen Actively, Interpret Insightfully, Strategize Solutions, Tailor Responses, Efficient Execution, and Nurture Relationships— at Ambuja Neotia we strive to ensure that we truly understand and meet our customers' needs. This approach not only enhances customer satisfaction but also fosters trust and long-term loyalty. Remember, in today’s world, customer experience is the new marketing. The trust we build through customer satisfaction is what sets us apart.