How quickly are you responding to your donors?
I want to highlight probably one of the biggest moments of my life that came from my Publix delivery driver. As a mom when your child is sick and you are working to manage this illness at home, you will take a temperature, give plenty of comfort, and follow up with comfort food. I found myself having to reconfigure dinner as my oldest child was still sick after 5 days of a fever. My husband was out of town so traveling with a sick child, a bouncy elementary schooler, and a three-nager wasn’t going to be a great trip to the grocery store, so I did a Publix delivery. I ordered my groceries, then quickly went to tend to my other motherly duties to make sure everyone is fine. Then it happened, I noticed my son in a deeper sleep, took his temperature and he was on fire. I called the doctor and the latest appointment available was only an hour away. My Publix shopper started shopping for my order, what was I to do!?! Could I leave my groceries on the porch for the time I was away, no, because then I would have a toddler crying over spoiled milk, so I messaged the Publix delivery shopper.
I said to her, “I know this is SUUUUPER WEIRD, but do you think you will be done shopping and be able to deliver my order by 6:00? I just learned I need to take my son to the doctor. I’m only 5 minutes away from Publix.” She quickly responded with an “I understand, I will get these to you on time.” Even though she had multiple orders, she told me that she would deliver to me first because she was a mother and understood my heart. On top of that, she apologized for arriving at my house at 6:02! She was honest, responsive, transparent, and present. Everything I needed at that moment. Of course, she received 5-star reviews and a tip! Her gratitude was amazing too, every tip goes towards her working hard as a single mom to provide for her two boys! I now know the impact and importance of my review.
So with this story in mind, I ask you, how quickly are you responding to your donors when faced with their preferences or challenges? As relationship builders, we are here to facilitate a positive experience for their philanthropy. Are you honest? Responsive? Transparent? And Present? Donors can sense if you’re faking it, as I would’ve too. Start thinking of the donor experience before donors make their first gift. Think through the functionality of your giving site. When the donor made their first gift, did they feel like a champion and partner in your cause? I can ask a variety of questions for you to think through, but I simply want to leave you with the opportunity to evaluate. Think about your internal and external operations and identify where gaps are present in the experiences of your donors. I know I would self-select that Publix driver every single time if I could; do your philanthropist want to self-select your organization every time they think about making a gift.