Customers are the lifeline of every brand so it’s important to have a strategy to optimize customer satisfaction. If you’re looking to increase customer loyalty, take note of 10 successful brands showing customers love.
Here are 10 Cases of Brands Showing Customers Love
1. Giftvertising- Westjet
In 2013, the Canadian airline Westjet staged what would become the most famous example of “giftvertising” to date.
Passengers boarding two flights scanned their passes at a large display. Projected on the screen, Santa Claus greeted each customer and asked them, “What would you like for Christmas?”. The rest is history.
In the following year, the amount of visits to Westjet’s websites doubled, with bookings increasing by 77% compared to the same month in 2012 and revenue rising to 86%.
2. Customer Suggestions- Starbucks
In 2008, My Starbucks Idea was launched as a platform for customer suggestions. To date, more than 200,000 ideas have been submitted through the official site, Twitter and Facebook page.
3. Support via Social- Nike
It’s important for brands to monitor interaction on social media.When customers use social media for customer support, they are setting the watchful eye of the world upon their brand.
Nike is a prime example of a highly visible brand showing customers love via social support. Created as a separate channel to answer customer questions, @NikeSupport offers support 24/7 in 6 languages; including English, Spanish, Italian, German, French, and Dutch.
4. Video Responses- Gary Vaynerchuk
Gary Vaynerchuk built his marketing agency and his family’s wine business from the ground up using forward-thinking marketing principles that put the customer experience front and center.
One of the strategies he employs is the use of video to respond to inquiries instead of written responses.
Just a few extra seconds of recorded video translates into more gratitude at the effort that was put into responding.
5. Freebies- Samsung
Freebies are customer requests for free things that are accommodated by a company; especially when such requests have gone viral on social media.
A loyal Samsung customer once asked for the Galaxy S3 free of charge. Although the company initially declined, after the request went viral on Reddit, Samsung sent him the phone and even customized it with the artwork he attached to the message.
However, it’s important to note that giving away product whenever a customer asks for it isn’t necessarily a sustainable practice
6. Responding to Customer Complaints- JetBlue
Responding to customers on social media is especially important because the complaints are public. By responding publically, anyone searching for your company’s hashtag or viewing your page can see how you handled the complaint and how quickly you responded to it.
In 2015, a JetBlue customer sent out a disheartened tweet that their 4-hour flight consisted of staring a broken television set. Later that day JetBlue arranged to give the customer a credit for the technical difficulties.
7. Lighthearted Communications- Sainsbury’s
An employee at the UK-based supermarket Sainsbury’s was responsible for this hilarious exchange with one of its customers. The interaction only lasted 17 tweets but is an example of what can happen when companies give their teams more freedom in their B2C communications.
8. Going The Extra Mile- Trader Joe’s
A Trader Joe’s in Pennsylvania once responded to a call from the daughter of an 89-year old man living in the area. She was concerned that her father had been snowed in at his home and did not have the mobility to go out and buy food.
After calling a few local grocery stores to no avail, she called a local Trader Joe’s and asked them if they would deliver food to his home. The Trader Joe’s not only agreed to deliver the food but also did so free of charge in under 30 minutes.
Going above and beyond expectations and showing customers that you care about more than their wallets is a great way to build brand loyalty and trust.
9. Customers As Brand Ambassadors- J. Crew
J. Crew’s engaging hashtags allow customers to showcase their love of the brand while also expressing themselves. #ShinyPonies and #AccessoryFix are two branded hashtags for shoes and accessories purchases.
Use customers as the face of a brand so they feel appreciated and represented.
10. Active Listening- Seamless
The simplest way to show you love your customers is simply to respond to brand mentions. Whether their comments are positive or negative, you always want customers to know that you are listening.
SEE ALSO: 3 Ways to Tell Your Customers “I Appreciate You”
In Conclusion:
What are you currently doing to optimize customer satisfaction? Any other ways of showing customers love?
