The Parent Experince (Part 1)

I vividly remember the day I first heard about the Steinway experience. Though years later I'm still not even sure if the story is true. But then, as now, the veracity of the tale is unimportant. What was crucial back in 2009 was that I was desperate and willing to try almost anything to make my program a success.

I was on a plane ride from Philly back to Tucson when the stranger beside me decided we would be friends. I didn’t want to be friends, but apparently, he had yet to meet anyone he wasn't friends. Over the next few hours of being talked at I learned that the company Steinway doesn't advertise their concert pianos in any meaningful way. Instead, when someone buys one (they start at about $150k), Steinway throws you a party. But not just any party; they put on an event that you will remember forever, and your friends will talk about for years to come. This s casual soiree; Steinway hosts a recital at your home, on your new piano. They plan every aspect of your party. They send out invites, plan the menu to your tastes, provide the caterer, bring in wait staff, provide valet parking, and then arrange for a concert pianist of national renown to play your favorite music on your new piano. They handle the cleanup. They do everything to make the experience as perfect and seamless as possible. All the new owner has to do is sit back, enjoy their party, admire their new piano, and listen to the compliments of their friends.

Each time they host a recital in someone's house, Steinway sells a bit more than two $150,000+ pianos. These parties are so incredible, and the demand for concert grand pianos that come free with these parties is so great that there is a lengthy waitlist. As new owners wait for their piano and the accompanying party, they remodel their homes, move, and even rebuild their existing homes to make the environment more acoustically pleasing and, of course, more conducive to luxury parties.

(I have no idea if any of this is even remotely true.)

Can you imagine if every camper that came to your camp brought two friends and also helped you make your camp better just to impress those same friends?

What my seatmate realized and quickly convinced me of was that the whole process is about far more than a piano. It’s about creating an experience that becomes part of your identity. Steinway knows the piano may never be played again, and if it is, it's unlikely it will ever sound as good as it did when played by a world-class pianist. The owners know this too, but they have almost zero buyer’s remorse. They will talk about the concert every time someone asks about the piano, they will remember the whole experience, and encourage their friends to get one too. The piano becomes a part of who they are, and they become raving, even rabid, fans of Steinway and Steinway pianos.

Now think about your camp, your campers, and your camp staff. Think about your camper parents and your camp alumni. Their current experience, their past experience, and how they view both.

As I mentioned, I have no idea if any of this is actually true (except the price of the piano; I Googled that). When I was given my first executive role, piano sales were not my problem. I had just taken over a failing program in an extremely remote part of the country. The property was in desperate need of refurbishment and repair, our enrollment was low, our reputation even lower. We had no cash on hand, and I would later find out I had been given the job as a green executive simply because no one with any experience would touch it. It was also in the middle of the worst recession since the 1930s. Things were grim; we had no money for anything. Morale was zero, and youth behavior was getting us attention we could ill afford. However, I did have Alison, a staff member and soon-to-be friend, who shared my vision for the camp. This would be enough.

My idea was to copy Steinway’s model and create an experience so incredible, so transformative, that the residents would buy in and feel proud to attend. Families would see the profound change in their children and attribute it to us. We would focus on their (The Parents) experience, making things as simple for them as possible. We would remove as many obstacles as we could, making it easy for them to get the help they needed to in turn help their kids. We would share and celebrate their kids' successes, so they would become proud of their children's achievements and, in turn, tell others, and their children would also attend. The families would not only see the benefit of my program but feel it in their own lives. The placing agencies (people that sent us kids) would also see and feel the benefits and send us more kids. We would remove barriers for them as well, reducing travel times by meeting them halfway for trips, increasing communication, both good and bad, and fine-tuning their experience so they too would recommend us to coworkers. We engaged our local community, welcomed them in, and were more transparent. We engaged our staff, rewarded them, recognized them, and celebrated them, changing their attitude from "we can't afford it" to "we can make it happen."

It worked! Eventually. It was hard work and slow going, filled with mistakes, but mainly just hard work. But it worked.

The lesson I learned in those early days turned out to be transferable. Each time I moved to a new location, or advised directors at other camps, we were able to repeat the successes of Arizona.

The realization that the camper experience is only a small part of THE CAMP experience was profoundly insightful. The Steinway people know this, which is why they leave no stone unturned. They understand that the host's experience is important, but so is the guests', as is the experience of the neighbors (hence the valet parking - no crowded streets). But they don’t stop there. The experience of the pianist is important, and so is that of the wait staff, the caterer, the florist, the printer of the invites, and I'm sure they even take care of pets. Anything that could negatively impact the overall experience is addressed. If one of the experiences is subpar, then the whole party might not be a success. If the party flops, there are no extra sales, or worse, people might discourage others from buying.

Camp is the piano. But are campers the new owners? Or is it the parents? As an industry, we have placed nearly all our focus on the camper experience, but this is only part of the equation. We need to turn our focus to the other people present - the piano owner, the guests, the pianist, the wait staff, the neighbors, and the pets. Their experience is equally and potentially even more important.

As camp directors, we have to look beyond the campers and realize that camper parents, grandparents, our staff, our board members, and our neighbors are having a simultaneous but separate experience of camp. An experience that is distinct from the campers', and needs to be curated and nurtured independently. We need to examine this experience in minute detail and eliminate any potential issues.

Think about the Steinway experience. Now, think about camp.

Take Action

Examine your camp experience from all perspectives. View camp through the eyes of your parents. How do they interact with your camp, in person, online and over the phone - Is this experience both seamless and positive for them? How do your staff experience camp - do they all feel appreciated, respected and cared for? How do your neighbors see camp? Where do your staff congregate on their time off. How are they representing your camp when your not there? Go through the list alumni, vendors, contractors, the guy that got lost in his RV and thought he could stay the night. What does their experience say of your camp.

TL:DR

Often in the race to offer the best product or service (in this case, the best camper experience), organizations forget that the overall ecosystem matters. Every touchpoint – whether it's the camper, their parents, the staff, the neighbors, or even external stakeholders – shapes the perception of the brand and its offerings.

Holistic Approach: Every person associated with the camp has an experience, and every experience matters. An excellent camper experience is futile if their parents have a negative impression, or if the staff is unhappy, or if neighbors are constantly troubled.

Empathy and Perspective: By placing oneself in the shoes of different stakeholders, you get a 360-degree view of the experience. This is invaluable for tweaking and optimizing the overall offering.

Word of Mouth is King: Just as Steinway gets additional sales through a well-executed piano party, camps can see an uptick in registrations through positive word of mouth. If all stakeholders have a positive experience, they're more likely to recommend the camp to others.

Engagement Beyond the Primary Offering: Steinway isn’t selling just a piano; they’re selling an experience, a memory, and a status symbol. Similarly, camps are offering more than just summer fun; they offer personal growth, community, and memories that last a lifetime.

Take Ownership: Challenges are inevitable, but how you respond to them defines the trajectory of an organization. You took ownership, identified problems, and devised innovative solutions to turn the camp around.