Do you run/own a business ? Or are you a social media marketer/ manager with business clients? If so, you or theyare dealing with people who would love a warm feeling at this time of year. It would reflect pretty well on you or your clients too!
So, what am I talking about? Well, as a consumer, I have been sent vouchers from 3 different companies who obviously value my custom. These vouchers have all arrived during the past week, without any action on my part. And they have all given me a really warm feeling towards the companies concerned!
Now, by vouchers I don’t mean promotional codes that give you 5% or 10% off if you spend above £x before ydate. No, I mean real money tokens given’ just because’ and one decent price reduction offer. The first I had was a £10 voucher in the post from a department store I ordered from online last year (and had not spent that much with, to be honest), which gave a nice lift to the morning!
Next, I had an email from a photo printing company to say the photobook I’d ordered was about to be despatched and offering me 15% off my next purchase (with a decent time window, so no pressure!). I had paid for my first book mainly with a voucher I’d bought very cheaply through Groupon, so already felt warm towards the company and this offer was the icing on the cake! Other companies offer similar products but having tried this software and set-up, found that I could use it and liked it, the voucher has secured brand loyalty.
Finally, today, I had a call from a major supermarket to alert me to the fact that I was being emailed a £5 voucher to apologise for any inconvenience the weather-induced disruption had caused to the delivery of my food order over Christmas. Now, the order I’d placed for delivery during Christmas week was cancelled due to the weather, but they rescheduled it and delivered it although the roads around us were impassable to ordinary cars. And quite frankly, I’d have paid double the price of the order just to ensure we got it and I didn’t have to find a way to get to a supermarket and then battle round it on Christmas Eve. So to then be given a voucher for the inconvenience AND to be alerted to it personally by a ‘phone call I just feel is outstanding customer service.
And what is this warm feeling going to equate to for the company? Well in my experience as a consumer, increased brand loyalty at the very least!
So why am I telling you this? Because to my mind this is such an easy, simple model to replicate, but may be one that gets overlooked as it is so simple. Take decent customer service in the first place (which is what we all aspire to, isn’t it?) and then add a voucher to celebrate your customer having done business with you. I was so surprised to be given ‘no strings’ money off by the companies I’d chosen to spend money with in 2010, it was lovely. But the killer? Adding a personal touch to giving your customer money off. That just takes the whole experience up to the next level.
And if you’re active and established in social media, the process is just so easy and building the personal touch in is almost a given! What’s stopping you from sending out a voucher and personal message to connected friends and customers on facebook, just because?
So, will you be giving your customers a warm feeling towards you sometime soon?