Astonish Your Customer(s)

Happy-Happy

A couple times a year I'd come into the house and my mom would joyfully say, "I got you a happy-happy". 

Happy-Happy was the term she used to describe a "gift" she got you for no reason - just to be nice, surprise you, say I love you. It was usually something small but always personal and heart-felt. 

That's the kind of person my mother was. 

What a great gift ... to a family member, friend, co-worker, customer. 

The world needs more people giving others a Happy-Happy (starting with me). 

I love you Mary Kelly Concannon and wish I were more like you. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

 

How should you treat your best customer

Reprinted from Seth Godin's blog

Here's what most businesses do with their best customers: They take the money.

The biggest fan of that Broadway show, the one who comes a lot and sits up front? She's paying three times what the person just three rows back paid.

That loyal Verizon customer, the one who hasn't traded in his phone and has a contract for six years running? He's generating far more profit than the guy who switches every time a contract expires and a better offer comes along.

Or consider the loyal customer of a local business. The business chooses to offer new customers a coupon for half off—but makes him pay full price...

If you define "best customer" as the customer who pays you the most, then I guess it's not surprising that the reflex instinct is to charge them more. After all, they're happy to pay.

But what if you define "best customer" as the person who brings you new customers through frequent referrals, and who sticks with you through thick and thin? That customer, I think, is worth far more than what she might pay you in any one transaction. In fact, if you think of that customer as your best marketer instead, it might change everything.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

What was inspiration & objective of Jet Blue

Overcome dehumanization of air travel. Give people what they most want – civilized travel at fair price. CMO in charge of training and other critical customer touch points not just traditional “marketing”. Considered giving prizes for best-dressed travelers to upgrade the overall look & feel of Jet Blue flying experience. 

Let the golden rule prevail in air travel. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B. 

"Gonna give you a big, BIG Hug"

When my oldest daughter was young she would say, "Daddy, I'm gonna give you a big, BIG hug". 

Not surprisingly, it was the highlight of my day. 

Maybe, after we finish an interaction with our customers, we should ask each one - "Do you feel like I just gave you a big, BIG hug?"

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

  

The even bigger lesson of Jet Blue

If you are an executive at a major U.S. commercial airline, what is your reaction to all the 'positive' feedback the flight attendant is getting? 

• Glad it wasn't my airline
• Jet Blue can't hire or train good people 
• Jet Blue was never as good as the headlines
• Could have happened to my airline

Or, should it be ... Wow, the public really hates commercial air travel!

The public, although probably disagreeing with the attendant actions, are mostly saying ... I understand, I am at my wits end with all the airlines too.

The lesson for executives of commercial airlines. The public hates your product and feels helpless, disrespected, ignored and would gladly deny you their business, if they only could.

Balls in your court - what now?

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Even kids know

Ally Bank has TV commercials that are both clever and convincing, built around the concept of treating people fairly, by the Golden Rule, if you will. 

Ally uses the tag line "Even kids know it's not right to ..."

Ally's approach is good reminder for the development of products or communication. Make it so simple and fair that a kid would understand it. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

An ethical rebate

Why do brands offer a rebate?

1) It allows the brand to advertise, to everyone, a very low price.

2) The brand knows, human behavior being what is, very few people who buy because of the rebate will actually claim the rebate. 

So, the brand gets something (powerful advertising message, sales) for nothing (low rebate payments). 

Even when bait & screw meets all legal requirements, it is a lousy way to serve your customers. 

If a brand wanted to blow their customers away, they should offer a rebate but require the customer to provide an email or phone number when they buy the product in order to qualify for the rebate. Then they should contact every customer that earned but did not claim the rebate to remind them to do so. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

We Can Do It Your Way, But Don't Go Crazy

You may be one of the 34 MM people that has seen Bon Qui Qui parody Burger King service slogan - it's hilarious. 

As with most parody of real life, it contains poignant truth. 

Brands say that they are dying to understand and meet their customers needs and wants but, alas, most brands "won't go crazy" to do so. 

Why not? Apple does, Jet Blue does, Southwest does, Tiffany does, Zappos does, Amazon does, Running Room does, Rick Warren does, Flip Video does.

Make and keep an audacious promise that will fulfill the dream of your customers. Go crazy and give it to them their way.

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

Real customer service

All of the sudden my HP printer would not turn on. I searched "HP printer troubleshooting". I reluctantly selected the link to the HP site and within about 3 clicks I was provided a video to resolve my problem. 

HP now has one delighted customer - a customer that anticipated a lousy experience, who instead had a pleasant one.  

While it looks like a company-made video, it could have easily been created by a friend of the brand and then published by the company. 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.

To the fullest extent

I saw a familiar sign, "Will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law". 

Suppose your business posted the following sign prominently in your store, restaurant, invoice, company letterhead, uniforms ...

"Will serve you to the fullest extent of our ability"

... and your people actually followed through?

Would customers notice it, tell others, buy from your business time and time again? 

O.D.O.o.O.D.B.