Let me ask you: what’s the most memorable thing your property did for a resident this year?
No, not your routine service calls or throwing in a few snacks at the pool.
I’m talking about something so thoughtful and unexpected that they talked about it, maybe even posted it on social media.
It’s the kind of move that goes beyond service and into what Will Guidara calls “unreasonable hospitality.”
I’m not saying you need to check coats without tags like Eleven Madison Park or snap vacation photos of someone’s lost giraffe à la The Ritz-Carlton.
But I am saying there’s something multifamily can learn from these stories.
Regarding resident retention, customer satisfaction, team member engagement, and community creation, we’re in the people business—just like the best restaurants and hotels in the world.
And when you care enough to go that extra mile, your residents will stick around.
Let’s examine these stories and see how they apply to multifamily.
The No-Tag Coat Check: Creating Seamless Experiences
At Eleven Madison Park, Will Guidara’s no-tag coat check system turned a functional service into an unforgettable experience.
Without the clunky tag exchange, residents’ coats would be waiting for them as they left, signaling that the restaurant anticipated their every move.
How does this translate to multifamily?
Think about your move-in process.
How clunky is it?
Are there endless pages of the application, lease, rules, regs, etc, questions, and headaches that pile on before the resident gets their keys?
What if the process were frictionless (*I don’t like this word, but it fits)?
Here’s an idea: take the opportunity to create a smooth, personalized move-in.
Start by knowing your new residents’ names as they walk through the door (like Eleven Madison Park did with photos from reservation lists).
Streamline every bit of paperwork digitally in advance and have their favorite beverage waiting in their new unit (discover the details through prior interactions or social feeds).
You’re not just renting them an apartment—you’re making their new space feel like home.
Amazon’s Same-Day Shipping: Speed as the New Standard
Amazon’s game-changer (I don’t like this phrase either, but again, it fits) is packages, sometimes within hours—faster than anyone thought possible.
This makes their service stand out, not just for convenience but because it exceeded customer expectations.
In multifamily, the closest analogy is how fast you respond to maintenance requests.
But here’s the catch: it’s not just about speed; it’s about setting a new standard of care.
Read: quality- done right the first time.
What if your maintenance crew responded to service calls in under an hour, not just with a fix?
Imagine your techs leaving behind a card thanking residents for their patience- even if the request was completed in under an hour.
Or, better yet, proactively run quarterly checks on common problem areas before residents submit a request—technology is changing the game in this respect.
You’re not just meeting a need—saying, “We see you and care about your comfort.”
The Ritz-Carlton’s Toy Rescue: Personalization at Scale
Nothing beats the Ritz-Carlton’s story of returning a child’s lost stuffed giraffe with a twist.
They didn’t just return the toy; they created an entire narrative with vacation photos.
This was an emotional experience under the premise of customer service.
A whole other level of customer experience!
For multifamily, this kind of personalization at scale is the future of retention.
Think about the moments that matter: birthdays, anniversaries, move-in anniversaries.
Why aren’t you creating experiences around those?
What if, on each resident’s anniversary of living with you, you gave them a personalized gift predicated on their move-in day!
Some kind of photo evidence of the experience- packaged in a thoughtful manner.
It’s not hard, and it’s entirely possible in today’s digital world.
You’re crafting a personalized living experience that pulls at the heartstrings!
Born from These Lessons: Three Ideas for Multifamily
Here’s where the fun begins.
Let’s build on these lessons from hospitality and retail and create something new for the multifamily space.
- The No-Key Welcome
We’re all about convenience, right? So why are we still handing out keys and fobs like it’s 1995? The idea of crucial exchange is old-fashioned in smart locks and apps. Your no-tag coat check equivalent? Ensure residents’ doors are unlocked (or some easy and safe version of this) when they arrive to move in. Have a digital welcome packet preloaded onto their phones, giving them instant access to everything from Wi-Fi to nearby restaurant recommendations. The point is to remove every friction point and start their living experience with seamless technology. - The One-Hour Maintenance Guarantee
Borrowing from Amazon’s same-day delivery creates an “unreasonable” response time for maintenance requests: one hour or less. But don’t stop there. After every repair, have your team leave behind a handwritten thank-you note. Bonus points if you include something extra—maybe a gift card to a local coffee shop or a small toolkit for minor fixes. The idea is to go beyond fixing the problem and create an emotional connection by showing how much you value their comfort. I once read about a plumbing company that would wash dirty dishes after clearing a clog in the sink drain pipe! - The Resident Memory Vault
Taking a cue from the Ritz-Carlton’s lost toy saga, why not build a “Memory Vault” for your residents? With smartphones and digital tools, capturing those little moments throughout the year is more straightforward—a picture of the resident community during an event or even just the spring flowers blooming outside. Compile these into a digital photo book for each resident on their first anniversary. It’s about showing that their time in your community has been meaningful.
Final Thoughts
We’re living in two types of economy: experience and attention, where simply providing a service is no longer enough.
Whether it’s seamless entry, ultra-fast maintenance, or personalized memories, hospitality can help seet multifamily apart.
The big secret?
Residents don’t just want a place to live—they want to feel part of something bigger, memorable, and remarkable.
You’re crafting an experience- daily.
Those of you who understand and act on this will retain residents and turn them into Raving Fans (great book).
“Service is how you fix the faucet. Hospitality is how you make people feel at home.” — Mike Brewer