There are plenty of organisations out there that will give customers something when things go wrong. A free dessert if your main course was inedible. A box of chocolates because of a billing error.
But what would happen if you gave your customers stuff for no reason at all? What difference would this make to the way your customers think and feel?
At first direct, we put this to the test. We set up an Intranet site with gifts for customer service agents to send to customers (things like wine, magazine subscriptions, cinema tickets and flowers).
How does this work in practice? Well, imagine you’re a customer service agent, having a conversation with a customer, who has called in to get some foreign currency. The customer happens to mention that they’re into photography. You’re really enjoying the conversation and want to show your gratitude, so you offer them a 12-month subscription to Practical Photography magazine. The customer is almost certainly thinking "Why?" But the reasons are simple. It’s because they are a great customer and you want to say thank you. No strings. No obligations. It’s just genuine gesture.
It wasn’t there to drive sales. It was to reinforce that customer relationship. But the results speak for themselves. We've found satisfaction went up (not really a surprise). But we also found product holding went up. So sales improved as a result of this initiative. We found that two, three, even six months later, customers gave first direct far more consideration when selecting new products, just through the service that had been given.
It’s about giving colleagues the freedom to WOW your customers.
A Genuine WOW story – my Bob and Lush experience
I have two dogs and I've just started ordering dog food from a company called Bob and Lush. When I placed my first order, it cost £33. I actually got a discount - 10% off - and they also sent some free dog chews with, which is great. Both are nice gestures.
But Bob and Lush really wowed me with this offer: the next time I ordered dog food from them, I would get a free dog bed. A free dog bed that costs more than the value of two orders. So I actually emailed them and said, "Really?" because this offer seemed to good to be true.
When I receive the second order, sure enough, the free dog bed came. I shared on social media: "You know that people say there's nothing in life for free? Well actually there is, because this was free, and there weren't any catches." It's not like I've got to stay with Bob and Lush for the next twelve months. I could leave next week, and I've still got my free dog bed.
My dogs like the food and my experience with them has been great. Why would I go elsewhere? Honestly? I'm not going to. I don't care about the competition. I'm the biggest advocate of Bob and Lush now, ever. And that's why they give their customers a free dog bed.
From a PR and brand perspective, this type of story is so powerful because it’s real and genuine. It’s not "X company has new product’ or ‘Y company has a new CEO’. On an emotional level, nobody really cares about that. Genuine stories are ones told to friends and family. It's not about buying people. It’s about creating advocacy, creating that story and allowing your customers, your advocates, to tell it.
Turn intention into action – The difference between ‘would’ and ‘have’
Lots of companies out there are asking their customers: "Would you recommend us?” And I always thought that was always quite an interesting one because, chances are (if you’re getting your customer service right) a high number of customers would say they’d recommend you.
The question I started asking customers is, "Have you recommended us?" That's a very different question. Sitting around a dinner table, how many times have you recommended a brand? Really said, "Do you know what? My energy company is amazing. And here's why", or "My bank is brilliant, here's why". You probably don't do that too often. But, when you do, it’s because you genuinely believe in them and are passionate about the brand. At first direct, we found that, of the 85% of customers who said they would recommend, 65% had done just that. Now, that's powerful.
Have you ever asked your customers: "Have you recommended us?” Because this is the question that really counts. If they’ve recommended you, then they've taken action. If they've taken action, then you've mobilised them, and you've created your own refer a friend scheme. You must have done something to genuinely WOW them and transform them into a true brand advocate. This is going to win you more business than any marketing campaign, any TV ad, any press ad, and any digital media. It's winning hearts and minds, building an emotional attachment with customers who believe you and believe in what you do.
If you're looking for more ways to improve your customer experience, including practical tips from CX experts, click below:
