I rushed to our cleaners, not really hoping I’d be able to convince them to have them ready before they closed on Saturday. I politely asked the man if they could possibly be ready. I could see the consternation on his face. I was asking a lot. He went to the back and asked, then came back and told me to call that afternoon to see if they could do it. I can do that.

2 hours later I get a call from him. Saying the pants (all 5 pairs) are ready. Now. Wow. I can’t beat that.

I was so grateful I wanted to buy him a gift. But I decided the best gift I could give him was my continued business and maybe a little mention on something called a blog (they’re not well known in my parts).

For my Egg customers and contacts, I often send them postings from Help a Reporter Out that I think they should take advantage of. I don’t charge for this service; I do it out of the kindness of my heart. Really.

A former boss would send his investor relations clients newspaper clippings of interest. Same concept.

You’ll find success in customer service by going out of your way to help someone. And they’ll tell others. I guarantee.

I almost didn’t get one.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMOCXUVX1P8[/youtube]

When I first placed my order online, I was envisioning the hours I’d while away playing with apps. Then I got an email saying my order had been cancelled because either AT&T couldn’t verify some information or I’d applied for too many lines. I was encouraged to make my purchase at an AT&T store.

Problem was, I was trying to buy a refurbished phone, and the stores don’t carry them.

I placed my order again. Once again, I was denied.

After a politely heated conversation between myself and a lowly customer service agent, whereby he also encouraged me to buy from a store,  I started to feel duped. Was this the great bait-and-switch I’ve heard tell of? Was AT&T going to refuse to sell anyone a refurbished iPhone so that they would have to buy a more expensive new one? Didn’t they care that I was on the verge of burning down their building, wherever it may be??

I asked to speak to a manager. He put me on hold. For 30 #%#@ minutes. Then my TMobile phone turned off, which is why I’m getting AT&T.

And so, I did what any normal angry 30something would do. I turned to Twitter. And Facebook. And I expressed my frustrations. Others chimed in that AT&T was the devil. Others said to persevere; the iPhone is worth it. After a while, I reached out to AT&T’s Twitter profile and voiced my frustration. I was immediately referred to an AT&T employee’s Twitter profile. She soothed me and told me someone would call me to resolve the issue.

I waited all Friday, but the call didn’t come til Monday (I think an instant call was in order but I’m sure AT&T employees also have other work to do besides calm me down). The woman (not sure her title) was very soothing and said she couldn’t see a reason why my order had been cancelled (What??  There’s not even a good reason I’ve gone through hell for this??). Anyway she was very nice and told me what to do to get the order placed.

A week later, I’m eagerly awaiting the arrival of my phone (due to arrive tomorrow. Expect not to hear from me for a few days!).

What AT&T Did Wrong:

• They didn’t empower the snippy customer service man to help me. He kept saying he was not authorized to verify the information over the phone. Disney does a great job of empowering every Cast Member to assist an unhappy Guest. AT&T could learn a lot from them.
• They made me wait for a manager. Maybe it was just a ploy to piss me off more, but if I’m at the point of needing a manager, I should not have to wait 30 minutes.
• When reacting via Twitter, an AT&T manager should have called me immediately. It might have nipped my angry flood of Tweets and reduced the number of people who witnessed the trouble I was having.
• AT&T was not searching the Twitter stream to see who was talking about them. Had they done that, they could have immediately helped me, rather than me hunting for them. @comcastcares does a great job of proactively finding people who talk about them.
• They did not make me feel like they valued me coming on as a new customer.

What AT&T Did Right:

• They responded to me via Twitter openly.
• They called me back (albeit late).
• They worked to resolve the problem.

Now the question is: if they didn’t have the iPhone, would I have still switched to AT&T? Probably not.

No matter what your field, you want to impress your customers. Am I right? It may get harder to do that the longer you’re in business, just because it’s hard to step out of the daily grind and get creative. However, it’s well worth the effort, as wowing your customers can bring you repeat sales and referrals.

If you work one-on-one with clients, take some time to clear your head and really think about their needs. If you have mass customers with the same basic needs (if you have a retail store this would be you), think about how you can improve your product offering. I find that taking a walk helps clear my head and I get great ideas I can implement for my customers.

Try to come up with something that improves what you already offer your customers. That might be:

• An extra service to add to what you already provide (I came up with a unique video idea for a client).
• An added treat in the purchase, such as candy, coupons, or bonus products
• A customized birthday card
• Holiday gifts

What makes you say WOW when you spend your money? What keeps you coming back to the same businesses?

So as I sometimes try to do, I decided to take some lessons on being loyal to a brand from him.

1. If the customer is happy, he won’t look at other brands. By providing a stellar product and excellent customer service, you can keep your customer’s eye from roving.

2. A true brand evangelist tells everyone about your product. Max obviously has discuss Hondas at school, because he came home and reported that Olivia’s dad also had a Honda.

3. Keep it innovative. If every Honda was a green CRV, Max might get bored. But there’s diversity, and new models coming out all the time.  Keep your customers wanting the latest and greatest version of your products.

Do you have any brand loyalty tips? Please share them!

I’m a big believer in showing my customers I appreciate them. I can’t always afford to send them lavish gift baskets, but I try to do so at the least for the Christmas season.

Why should you send your customers a token of appreciation?

It’s important to remember that your customers have a choice. They can buy from anyone, but they choose you. That might be because you have a superior product, or amazing customer service, or are convenient. Whatever the reason, be grateful.

Sending a little something can actually bring you more business! While it shouldn’t be your goal, often just by sending a gift or thank you card, your customers are impressed at your thoughtfulness, and are ready to give you even more business.

What should you do?

It all depends on your budget. Let’s start with a budget of $0 and go up from there.

No money

If you don’t have any money, you can still impress. Send a handwritten thank you card, or if you find a website or news article you think your customer would be interested in, send it with a note in an email. This lets them know you’re thinking of them.

A little money

You can get a bar of chocolate, candle or other small gift and send it to a customer as a small thank you. A Starbucks gift card (even for $5) is a great way to make someone smile.

More money

I like to send gift baskets of chocolate. Probably because I like to eat chocolate. Flowers or cheese baskets work too. Before you buy, search for coupon codes online to save money, especially if you’re placing a big order for multiple clients.

What about you? What do you do to show customers appreciation?

So this box arrives. In it are St. Paddy’s Day goodies, a t-shirt (I gave Ted and Ashley hell for giving me such a big shirt), and samples of an energy drink they represent. Just a few things that made me smile. Now I know I’m on their radar, and I’m that much more likely to continue to be a brand evangelist for IZEA.

I’m big on appreciating your customers and contacts. For some reason, though, so few people send gifts or cards, so when you do it, you really stand out. And often, it’s that gift that helps develop a business relationship.

So ask yourself, what can you send to your contacts?

I’ve never been one to follow up after I send a client a gift. It seems too much like I’m looking for appreciation and thanks. And that’s not why I send gifts. But I’ve learned my lesson.

This past Christmas, I sent out beautiful chocolates from Schakolad. Man, they were pretty. So much so, I had a hard time pushing them out of my office (envision the Cookie Monster turned Chocolate Monster. That’s me.). But I did. A few recipients responded with gratitude. I didn’t worry about the rest.

Until yesterday.

The mail carrier delivered a package with my handwriting on it. Apparently, Justin Levy, who used to work with my client That’s Great PR, moved before I sent my package. And for some unknown reason, it has taken 3 months for the package to find me again.

So I find myself with $50 worth of old chocolate (hey, it still tastes good; I wouldn’t want to send it back to Justin in case old chocolate can kill you. It’s a risk I’m willing to take myself). Yay me!

But none of this would have happened if I’d actually followed up with Justin (and others) to see if he received the package. So if any of you readers are past or present clients and didn’t get a package from me, know that I sent you something very expensive and the post office ate it!

Here are the brands I talk about in this video:

PRWeb

Constant Contact

Relax Wine

DHC

And some great articles about brand evangelism.

Chris Brogan talks about The Tricky Path of Brand Relationships

Dobney.com talks about brands and relationships

Jason Whitman talks about how smart USA rallies fans around its brand

So how about it? What are the brands that you love? What do you promote for free?

Many businesses see internet marketing as their key to skyrocketed success. But with a poorly made product, difficult customer service policies or even a badly designed website, no blog or Facebook profile will save your business.

Read the post and tell me what you think. What’s the one thing that makes a business succeed?

Rule #1:Do not offer email customer service if you will not respond to email inquiries.

Rule #2: Do not be in business if your call wait time is over 5 minutes.

Rule #3: Do not make it difficult for a customer to cancel her account. Especially if she is a blogger.

Stamps.com, you’re on my s#%t list.

Too often in marketing we focus on attaining a new customer. How can we get their attention? What will make them buy? But, as Steve points out in his book, equally important is building a relationship with that client once we’ve attained them.

There’s two ways your clients can think of you:

• Us and them: client thinks of you as having separate goals and needs than he does
• We: client considers you almost an extension of himself, and knows that your goals are aligned

So how do you create a “We relationship?” It’s all about listening. Rather than forcing your agenda down a client’s throat (X Product comes with this feature! This benefit!), listen to what they’re saying and what they need.

Also, be present. When you’re talking to a client, don’t think about your next appointment or the Red Sox game. Pay complete attention to the person you’re speaking to.

In order to create a memorable encounter with a client (or potential), Steve says you must:

• Engage in the Moment
• Create Conversation
• Make it Unique

This is a great book, and I highly recommend it, no matter what your role at your company.

“Look away, Wendy, look away. Do NOT make eye contact,” I hissed.

I didn’t check to see if she obeyed, but at least three vendors aggressively tried to stop us as we sprinted away. I said to Wendy, “Boy, how do they expect to sell with that technique?”

She looked at me knowingly and said, “Blog post!” So here we are.

I assume these people are paid commission. I know my 3 days working at a mall kiosk in 1994 netted no sales and no effort from me to sell name definitions in picture frames (ah, I’ve come a long way, baby).

So here’s why this technique is wrong, just in case you don’t know:

1. It’s in-person spam. Annoying and unwanted.

2. It’s targetless.

3. It’s offensive.

4. If I want your product, I see it there. In the middle of the mall, for all to see.

5. It’s usually to hawk something that’s not that good.

In the end, we did stop at a kiosk in the middle of the mall. Wendy bought her daughter a present. But guess what? The employee didn’t even approach us. And she got our business anyway.

So why should you know your audience?

1. They have different needs.

2. Not everyone is ready to buy at the same time.

3. They like being approached in different ways (sticking a poky head massager probably appeals to about .0001 of the population).

4. They like to think you know them.

5. You’ll sell more.

They’re hitting all the keywords of social media, which I think is interesting. They’re also pointing out that it’s easy to get your customers’ names, but harder to learn more about their interests and quirks.

I guess it makes sense that the Postal Service would offer more business services, seeing as they have the largest database of US addresses (all of them, in fact). I am curious to hear if any of my readers have used these services.

And just so you know? I love the shirt in the ad. I sent in for my free shirt. I’ll wear it in a future post if I get it!

This comes at a time when Starbucks is seeing a decline in sales. Will the new incentive program get people back buying coffee? Some say no; that the program is too complicated. I say, for those people who get their Starbucks fix every day (multiple times a day), the card will be a great success. But these are the people who would buy coffee there anyway.  The Gold Card won’t, in my opinion, stimulate people like me, who just go for an occasional treat. If the card were free, yes,  I would sign up. But paying a premium for the privilege to save money just doesn’t add up, in my book.

What I learned at the recent Loyalty Expo is that to create loyalty you need several ingredients (and none of them are doublenonfatsoy):

1. a real understanding of what your customers want

2. interaction (hmm, sounds like Marketing 2.0)

3. relevance. loyalty and needs change.

4. simplicity

So while Starbucks hits a few of these points, I think there’s still room to grow.

What’s your opinion? Do  you have a Gold card?  Has it made you more loyal to Starbucks?

Watch the video and start thinking about how your customers think of you. Is it “them and me” or “we?”

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq-pwxe9RYs[/youtube]

Or as we now call it, the “Suckahara.”

Upon arrival, my check-in was fast and efficient. The room looked fine. BUT THEN (enter daunting music: DUN-DUN-DUNNNNN)

• Someone went into Shannon Hutton’s and my room and rifled through her personal belongings.
• Lorna Doone Brewer and Tamara Berry found black mold on the wall.
• Other Sparkpluggers found stains eerily resembling blood.
• The hotel messed up our reservation about 100 times. Wendy Piersall and Amber Watson-Tardiff got pissed.

Several of us, over the weekend, attempted to talk to management about the unacceptable situation. I even gave it a shot. I told the man at the desk what had happened. I told him someone had been in our room. He didn’t even look up. No apology, no recognition, no “quelle horreur!”

Ok, Sahara, you may be the cheapest room in town, but you have a thing or two to learn about customer service.

1. You should be online. Just by searching, you would find dozens (if not THOUSANDS) of complaints about your service. This is your opportunity to do something positive to change people’s opinions.
2. You should react. In case you were gambling during Customer Service 101: the customer is always right. Especially when it comes to blood stains and break-ins. An apology, free dinner, gambling chips…anything can help when you’ve pissed people off that will blog about you.
3. You should train your staff. To be nice. Not to break in rooms. To clean off murder scenes.

That being said, you could all learn a lesson from The Sahara. Be nice to your customers or they will blog about you.

The first step in developing a successful business selling strategy is understanding how purchase decisions are made within the organization. Business buyers vary greatly from consumers; therefore, gaining knowledge in business buying behavior is very important. There are five essential aspects in the business buying behavior:

1. Buying Centers: this includes all the people in an organization who become involved in the purchase decisions. These roles can include initiators, influencers/evaluators, gatekeepers, deciders, purchasers, or users.

2. Evaluative Criteria: business buyers evaluate products and suppliers against quality, service, and price (in this order).

3. Buying Situations: business firms must decide whether to make something or buy it from an outside supplier. If a firm decides not to make it, the purchase will be a new buy, a modified rebuy, or a straight rebuy.

• A new buy is purchasing a product for the first time.
• A modified rebuy is where the purchaser wants some change in the original good or service.
• A straight rebuy is where the purchaser reorders the same goods or services without looking for new information or investigating other suppliers.

4. Business Ethics: many companies have codes of ethics that help guide buyers and sellers.

5. Customer Service: firms must be concerned with delivering high-quality service and measure satisfaction, loyalty, relationship quality, and other indicators of non-financial performance.

Susan

Natalie brings up excellent elements of the buying process. But how does that affect your marketing?

1. It explains the process. It doesn’t do you any good to market to someone who has a set group of vendors they are required to work with.
2. You can create marketing strategies for each type of buying situation.
3. You can analyze each buying center to determine how they like to be marketed to and act accordingly.

Remember: Research is key to complete prior to creating your marketing plan. Poor research can backfire on you, so take the time to do it right.

Delivering customer value is essential with any firm. It means:

• Elevating the customer experience
• Improving customer satisfaction
• Paying close attention to customer feedback and attitudes.

A firm should constantly change itself in order to deliver more value to customers. A firm should also seek out customer insight through quality improvement initiatives.

The automobile industry demonstrates the importance of creating customer value. Lexus adopted a customer-driven approach with particular emphasis on service. The service quality goal is to treat each customer as one and pursue a person-to-person relationship.

If you are interested in creating customer value:

-Offer products that perform

-Give consumers more than they expect

-Avoid unrealistic pricing

-Give the buyer facts

-Offer organization-wide commitment in service and after-sales support

Susan:

Using Natalie’s example of car companies, let me illustrate customer value. I’ll compare my experience with two types of car dealerships: Acura and a less expensive American dealership.

I used to have an Acura. A very old Acura, but an Acura, nonetheless. I needed it serviced, so I scheduled an appointment at the dealership. I was fain to do so because I’d always heard the dealership will charge you an arm and a leg.

When I arrived, I already had an employee assigned to work with me. He ushered me into a comfortable chair and offered me a selection of beverages. Once our paperwork was complete, he handed me the keys to a brand new Acura to borrow while my car was being serviced. It didn’t matter that I had an older model…I was still part of the family.

The waiting area had a cappuccino machine and impressive snacks. The employee called me 15 minutes later to tell me the issue with the car. The checkout process was seamless.

The experience at the less expensive American dealership was fine, but less enjoyable. Employees shuffled around trying to find my paperwork. There was no car to borrow, and no beverages offered. My car got fixed just the same, but the experience wasn’t as memorable. You can be sure I’ll consider Acura when buying my next car.

Which got me thinking. Marketing is really more than reaching out to new potential customers. It’s creating a positive customer experience for the people who walk into your store. For us, it seemed as simple as offering yummy ice cream. But the longer we work at our Marble Slab the more we realize how the previous owner let things slip. Even just cleaning the store thoroughly has brought positive comments from customers. Some, who had stopped coming due to the dirt, or lack of flavors, or some other reason, are coming back and letting us know they like the changes.

That being said, what can you do to improve your physical marketing? It may be as simple as stacking cups in a pyramid rather than a boring vertical stack. Here are some other ideas:

• Make sure every inch of your facility is spotless. Train employees how to do the job right the first time.
• Add special touches, like fancy soap in the bathroom, or a candy dish at the door.
• Music (at the right volume and station) can add a touch that makes shoppers linger.
• If your facility permits, light a candle or put out potpourri for a homey feel.

What are your customers saying about your store?

We have all heard of the traditional marketing mix: product, price, place, promotion. All four of these elements communicate your firm’s capabilities and image to customers and influence customer satisfaction with the firm’s products and services.

Now I bet you haven’t heard of the “Expanded Marketing Mix for Services.” These are additional variables that led marketers to develop the expanded marketing mix for services: people, physical evidence, and process.

* People: all human actors who play a part in service delivery and thus influence the buyer’s perceptions: namely, the firm’s personnel, the customer, and other customers in the service environment.

* Physical Evidence: The environment in which the service is delivered and where the firm and customer interact, and any tangible components that facilitate performance or communication of the service.

* Process: The actual procedures, mechanisms, and flow of activities by which the service is delivered; the service delivery and operating systems.

These three additional variables are particularly important when it comes to giving customers satisfactory service. Take a look at your current marketing mix and do not be afraid to expand it!

Susan
It’s interesting that marketing courses today cover more than they did when I earned my MBA 5 years ago. But Natalie’s right: there’s more to a customer experience than product, price, place and promotion. Is your expanded marketing mix creating the best customer experience possible?

– People. Is your staff trained to handle any customer request, question or complaint? Is your staff cheerful and polite, or just waiting until their shift is over? Consider monthly training sessions to educate them on new products or services as well as remind them of the company culture you want to portray.

– Physical Evidence. Your office or store is much more than a place of business. It’s the setting for what you hope will be a wonderful time for your clients. Walk in your front door and take note of what you see. Do you have piles of papers messily stacked where customers can see? Computer cords creating chaos? Hide all evidence of work and add touches of comfort, like plants and inviting furniture.

– Process. Disney does process right. Every Cast Member is authorized to assist a guest, no matter what the problem. Does your staff have to run and find you or a manager to handle out of the ordinary requests? That creates annoyance for the customer. I was at the grocery store and realized I had a dented can. I asked for a discount (it had been done before). Ten minutes and 4 people later my problem hadn’t been resolved. I told them to forget it. The store should have had a smooth process for this situation. List out your processes for all types of transactions and situations in your employee handbook and make sure everyone knows them by heart.

PS for more on marketing mix, read this previous post: The Secret of ‘The Marketing Mix.