Consider the example of an electrician that completes work in common areas for body corporate clients. If the electrician leaves the job site cleaner than it was when he or she arrived, they are likely to reduce potential complaints.

However, nice touches such as a thoroughly cleaning the job site do not represent the core experience that a body corporate customer receives when dealing with an electrical contractor. The electrician is unlikely to set themselves apart from competitors unless the experience they offer also includes friendly and knowledgeable technicians, competitive rates, timely response times and relevant advice.

Regardless of the product or service being provided, a solid and consistent core experience that is supported by little extras (that are valued by the client) provides substance to a brand and helps retain customers.

In my opinion body corporates are just looking for a safe pair of hands, not slick branding and big promises. Committee members are, after all, volunteers and they generally don’t like spending their spare time fighting body corporate fires. Committees need reliable service providers that can be trusted to take care of their duties efficiently and economically.

Although all the above seems like common sense, it may not necessarily be common practice amongst suppliers to the body corporate world.

The ‘perfect experience’ for a body corporate committee may not need to include all the ‘bells and whistles’. Perhaps a supplier simply needs to show up and deliver a predictable result each visit to retain clients and be recommended to new ones.