Sorry about your flight mishap - here's a coffee mug
A friend was just reminiscing about her old job and all the traveling she used to do for it. It sounded like a lot, but to very enjoyable and sometimes exotic places. She racked up a lot of miles and soon joined the elite Million Miles Club.
Traveling that much, something is bound to go wrong now and again. When things were not satisfactory, my friend wrote a polite letter to the airline, describing the incident. From the first letter, she received a small mantel clock emblazoned with the airline logo. A nice gesture. The second time, she got a standard coffee mug, again with the company logo. Over the course of five years, she accumulated quite a few tchotchkes that had nothing to do with travel and did not leave her feeling any more satisfied.
The airline was on to something positive. It acknowledged a poor airline experience and as an apology, sent a free gift. People want to be heard and people love free stuff – the airline nailed that. BUT it seems they could have done both parties an even better service by choosing better apology gifts.
Any gift is a nice gift, so I’m not implying ungratefulness. I do believe, however, that no matter what your budget, you can provide gifts that not only make your clients happy, but strengthen your relationship.
The airline thought of a clock and a mug. If you’re going with practical, why not make those a travel clock and a travel mug? Travel industry, travel gifts. A set of travel-size anything. Luggage tags. A neck pillow. Anything to make traveling a bit easier.
What my friend suggested as a great gesture would be airline miles. It doesn’t even have to be a lot. Or drink tickets, meal vouchers (when that was applicable), priority seating for a flight. With a printable voucher, this is a no-cost alternative for an airline. And by her reaction, much more appreciated by travelers. On top of that, these gifts encourage travelers to return to the airline, since they have these great bonuses to use there.
So before you drop cash on coffee mugs or clocks, think about your customers and how they use your products or services. What will enhance their experience with you?
Additional info: a good article on choosing an appropriate promotional product
Traveling that much, something is bound to go wrong now and again. When things were not satisfactory, my friend wrote a polite letter to the airline, describing the incident. From the first letter, she received a small mantel clock emblazoned with the airline logo. A nice gesture. The second time, she got a standard coffee mug, again with the company logo. Over the course of five years, she accumulated quite a few tchotchkes that had nothing to do with travel and did not leave her feeling any more satisfied.
The airline was on to something positive. It acknowledged a poor airline experience and as an apology, sent a free gift. People want to be heard and people love free stuff – the airline nailed that. BUT it seems they could have done both parties an even better service by choosing better apology gifts.
Any gift is a nice gift, so I’m not implying ungratefulness. I do believe, however, that no matter what your budget, you can provide gifts that not only make your clients happy, but strengthen your relationship.
The airline thought of a clock and a mug. If you’re going with practical, why not make those a travel clock and a travel mug? Travel industry, travel gifts. A set of travel-size anything. Luggage tags. A neck pillow. Anything to make traveling a bit easier.
What my friend suggested as a great gesture would be airline miles. It doesn’t even have to be a lot. Or drink tickets, meal vouchers (when that was applicable), priority seating for a flight. With a printable voucher, this is a no-cost alternative for an airline. And by her reaction, much more appreciated by travelers. On top of that, these gifts encourage travelers to return to the airline, since they have these great bonuses to use there.
So before you drop cash on coffee mugs or clocks, think about your customers and how they use your products or services. What will enhance their experience with you?
Additional info: a good article on choosing an appropriate promotional product
Labels: customer service, promotions
posted by Anonymous at
9:44 AM
2 Comments:
In addition to gifts, apologies can go a long way as well. "Or consider the economic value of an apology. Several years ago the University of Michigan's hospital system embarked on a major revision of its medical malpractice policies. Departing from the standard industry practice of reflexively "denying and defending" most claims, doctors and hospital officials started sitting down with plaintiffs and their lawyers to discuss complaints prior to any formal litigation.
In many of these meetings the doctors apologized directly to patients for any harm that their professional actions had caused. And while the hospitals continued to defend doctors vigorously if the evidence suggested that their care had met professional standards, they also instituted a policy of quickly settling meritorious claims. The results were concrete and dramatic: Between 1999 and 2006 malpractice claims against University of Michigan hospitals dropped by more than half, as did total malpractice litigation costs.
http://money.cnn.com/2010/02/01/news/companies/dov_seidman_lrn.fortune/
That's a really good point. The main focus for a botched service should be the apology above all. Yes, a gift does say, "I heard you and I'm sorry" but sincere words can do even better. Thanks for the link to the great article - the idea of business with integrity before money is something we should all be spreading.
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