Customer service is both simple and complicated. Companies have elaborate online customer service systems to handle inquiries and complaints from customers across the street and around the world. Walk into any brick-and-mortar store and you’ll find a “Customer Service” sign somewhere indicating the location of a person (or computer terminal) that can help you with a problem.
While most customer service systems are set up to be reactive—springing into action only after a customer complains—customer service can be proactive. In fact, in an article by Gary Peterson, “Customer Service 101: Thank You Cards and Donuts,” he relates a lesson he learned from a car salesman who became successful by using small acts of kindness to attract and retain customers.
The lesson came from a fellow college student and a talk he gave at the request of a professor. Seems this guy dropped out of high school to sell cars and eventually owned his own successful dealership. No doubt many factors contributed to his success, but there were two proactive steps he took consistently that he felt made the greatest impact.
The first was sending hand-written thank-you notes to every customer that purchased a car from his dealership. Hand-written cards stand out, mainly because few people take the time to write and send them. They have to be sent by snail mail. A personal card in an envelope with a stamp is almost like someone opened a door to a past generation. It gets noticed. It gets read. It ends up stuck to the wall or passed around at a meeting. Thank-you notes have longevity and let customers know you appreciate their business. They are also a talking point and a great way to get customers talking to others who might need your products or services.
The second thing he did was deliver a case of donuts to unsuspecting customers or just businesses in his area. Everyone likes a surprise, especially in the form of delicious, free food delivered just in time for the morning coffee break or afternoon sugar-slump. The donuts were a marketing tool, with company information printed on the box. They also let people know that they were noticed and important.
It doesn’t take long for that kind of good news to spread around the shopping mall or downtown business district. It’s an inexpensive way to make a big impression. Random acts of kindness are effective marketing tools and customer service gestures for current and prospective customers. The ideas were so powerful that Peterson adopted them within his company, gap intelligence, with impressive results.
These two actions are nothing new. What makes them effective today is the power of high-touch in an increasingly high-tech world. You can touch and feel a thank-you note. The stationery and handwriting give it character and importance. The simple act of tearing open an envelope and reading a card is a unique experience when most communication comes over a computer screen or Smartphone. And sinking your teeth into a soft, sweet donut? You get the picture. They may be old ideas, but in a digital, virtual business world some old, proactive customer service methods are becoming new—and effective—again.
Photo Source: Freedigitalphotos.net
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