Ranting about senior living feature dumping on tours isn’t exactly a digital topic.
But, I felt like the firsthand experience I recently had was important to share.
A friend, we’ll call her Cindy, is searching for a senior living community for her parents.
Despite having moved her parents to an in-law suite attached to their home, she and her husband can no longer keep up with caring for them. It has been a rough few years.
Cindy asked me if I would go along with them to tour nearby senior living communities. She was feeling anxious and fearful of making the wrong decision.
Visiting Senior Living Communities
We agreed ahead of time that my role was basically to ask questions my friends didn’t remember to ask or even know they should. And to provide honest feedback on what I thought of each community afterward.
My friend had already spent considerable time on each provider’s website and talked with a member of the sales team at each location.
Cindy and her husband had also taken the extra step of thoughtfully considering what each of her parent’s current disease-related challenges were, and what their doctors’ anticipated the seniors needing in the months and years ahead. They had their list in hand as we headed out for the day.
My friend’s mom is losing her eyesight due to advanced macular degeneration and her dad was diagnosed with COPD a year or so ago. A pretty common scenario in our industry, right?
Feature Dumping Through Senior Living Tours
Yikes! I was more than a little shocked at the lack of thought the sales teams had given to prepping for the tours at each of the four communities we visited.
It was one full-day of feature dumping and very little talk of benefits. My friends would have left with more questions than answers had I not been along for the ride.
I’ll also add that my friend is VERY detailed-oriented. I have no doubt that the sales person at each community would have been able to paint a picture of this couple and their needs had they listened during the phone call.
And Cindy also shared with each community’s sales person that her parents are reluctant but ready to make this move. The couple is doing so because they know their daughter is exhausted and in need of a break.
Had the sales teams taken any time at all prior to the tour to consider this couple’s needs and design a tour around them, there would have been a sale that day.
Seriously. This is a couple of significant financial means who have made the decision that it’s time for a change. It doesn’t get any easier than that if you listen and showcase solutions.
When Benefits Are Lost to Features
Here’s a quick peek at the missed opportunities from the day:
- Listen and adapt: Two out of the four sales people tried to take us through memory care neighborhoods. Sheesh. I can’t imagine my already fearful friend touring a part of senior living her parents had no need for. Is it a feature of the community? Yep, for sure. Does it benefit my friend’s parents? Nope. Not one little bit. Did I redirect the tour? 100%. Should that have been necessary? Also nope.
- Benefits not features: Low-vision amenities that would help my friend’s mom weren’t pointed out or explained. Ugh. Braille room numbers outside the door, great lighting, hand rails in hallways, and oversized clocks are just a few benefits I pointed out that the sales teams didn’t. Plenty of benefits for a person with vision loss were there just waiting to be explained.
- Pay attention: With almost every question my friend asked and through her body language, it was obvious Cindy is struggling. For a sales person who listened, paid attention, and asked questions, there was tremendous opportunity to reassure my friend she could remain involved in her parents lives. And have input in their care. But there was no mention of care conferences. Nor did the sales teams invite her to volunteer or attend meals or activities with her parents. My eye twitch worsened throughout these tours.
Bottom line?
At least two of the four communities would be a great solution for Cindy’s parents. But they wouldn’t have known that without having someone along pointing out why.
What has happened, my friends and colleagues, to our industry’s ability to give a great tour? To reassure a frightened family member? Did we forget what matters and how to meet needs during COVID?
I hope you consider this an invitation to get some in-person mystery shoppers out to your communities. You may find yourself as shocked as I was…
Promote Benefits on Senior Living Websites
Feature dumping applies to your website, too. This article on benefits versus features is a good one to help you avoid making the same mistakes the sales teams we interacted with made offline last week.