OK, so those of you reading my blog of late have heard my rants on Virgin Mobile and Rogers Retail... time for me to turn the soil and dig up a great experience in brand being translated to customer service that I experienced recently.
I was on the hunt for a simple, inexpensive iPhone 4 case, and was turned off by Rogers. I'm over it. I walked down the mall hall and found Simply Computing. Simply is a small and growing computing support company with retail stores throughout the Lower Mainland and in Victoria in BC, and are doing quite well, focusing on the market as an Apple Specialist.
When I walked into the store, I arrive quite disgruntled with my experience with Rogers. However, despite my sour face and poor attitude, a smile greeted me with a warm "hello" and an invite to help. I put my cards on the table, mincing no words. I was quickly shown great options, given pros and cons on the purchase I wanted to make, and given choices to suit not only my practical needs, but my aesthetic wants. In the end, my spirit was uplifted, and I felt a sense of confidence in the Simply Computing brand due to excellent customer service and product knowledge. The staff member, Rachel Becker, was obviously well trained, took her job seriously, and helped me navigate through a purchase decision with helpful and sometimes humorous input. As a result, my friend purchased a product from their store after chatting with another staff member, gaining valuable knowledge and input on a GPS Bluetooth system.
In the end, I walked away from the store with a purchase in my hand, and definitely plan to return again. Customer loyalty.
Aligning customer service and your brand is an important way to attract perennial customers, create a unique standing in your industry - setting you apart from other flowers in the garden, and cultivate brand loyalty. Done right, it can create a truly sustainable competitive advantage.
What does this mean in terms of customer service? Companies who invest in training their staff to know, live and breathe the vision of the company brand not by rote, but by values, create an amazing customer service environment for customers on the front line. An employee who is educated on their product, and is taught to understand the VALUE of the product, can then speak with customers with a positive confidence, and guard the brand in intangible ways no amount of paid brand marketing can.
Good for you, Simply Computing, for hiring and training staff like Rachel to provide superior customer service, thus standing by your credo as an Apple Specialist.
Tonia Lenk is a brand specialist and owner of Ideas In Bloom, a brand design studio specializing in collaboration on projects with clients who are dedicated to excellence, committed to the community and sustainability in the environment. She is a proud mother of four, and writing her first novel in 2010. She recently took up flute, and shares her knowledge on print, web and brand design freely!
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| Customer Loyalty is an intangible brand value that cannot be bought. It must be earned. |
I was on the hunt for a simple, inexpensive iPhone 4 case, and was turned off by Rogers. I'm over it. I walked down the mall hall and found Simply Computing. Simply is a small and growing computing support company with retail stores throughout the Lower Mainland and in Victoria in BC, and are doing quite well, focusing on the market as an Apple Specialist.
When I walked into the store, I arrive quite disgruntled with my experience with Rogers. However, despite my sour face and poor attitude, a smile greeted me with a warm "hello" and an invite to help. I put my cards on the table, mincing no words. I was quickly shown great options, given pros and cons on the purchase I wanted to make, and given choices to suit not only my practical needs, but my aesthetic wants. In the end, my spirit was uplifted, and I felt a sense of confidence in the Simply Computing brand due to excellent customer service and product knowledge. The staff member, Rachel Becker, was obviously well trained, took her job seriously, and helped me navigate through a purchase decision with helpful and sometimes humorous input. As a result, my friend purchased a product from their store after chatting with another staff member, gaining valuable knowledge and input on a GPS Bluetooth system.
In the end, I walked away from the store with a purchase in my hand, and definitely plan to return again. Customer loyalty.
"When it comes to brand building, it's not just a logo that builds brand awareness. Happy, informed staff = happy, informed customers."When it comes to brand building, it's not just a logo that builds brand awareness. Customer service is often the last and most-ignored part of the brand garden for most companies. This is a huge mistake, and a missed opportunity for company to build intangible brand value. No amount of glitz and glam marketing can replace good customer service on a face-to-face level. Happy, informed staff = happy, informed customers
Aligning customer service and your brand is an important way to attract perennial customers, create a unique standing in your industry - setting you apart from other flowers in the garden, and cultivate brand loyalty. Done right, it can create a truly sustainable competitive advantage.
What does this mean in terms of customer service? Companies who invest in training their staff to know, live and breathe the vision of the company brand not by rote, but by values, create an amazing customer service environment for customers on the front line. An employee who is educated on their product, and is taught to understand the VALUE of the product, can then speak with customers with a positive confidence, and guard the brand in intangible ways no amount of paid brand marketing can.
Good for you, Simply Computing, for hiring and training staff like Rachel to provide superior customer service, thus standing by your credo as an Apple Specialist.
Tonia Lenk is a brand specialist and owner of Ideas In Bloom, a brand design studio specializing in collaboration on projects with clients who are dedicated to excellence, committed to the community and sustainability in the environment. She is a proud mother of four, and writing her first novel in 2010. She recently took up flute, and shares her knowledge on print, web and brand design freely!
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