Connecting with Customers

A couple of years ago I was at a Super Bowl party loving it as the Giants were holding their own against the Patriots. It was a wonderful mix of people, but the one thing we all had in common was that we were all cheering for the same team! Early in the second half a few new people joined the party, and made the rounds meeting everyone. I was introduced to one of them, and after a moment realized he was Mickey Drexler of J. Crew. This was enough to distract me from the game, since I am a huge J. Crew fan. Mickey seemed genuinely interested in my enthusiasm for what J.Crew was doing lately, and asked my thoughts on a couple of things, and then pulled a card out and handed it to me. Unlike the usual business card, this was a "friends and family" card allowing me a special discount. What a thrill! I felt as if I had been allowed into a special club. Needless to say, as soon as I got home, I went right online and clicked away.

I had always heard that Mickey Drexler, was the master of getting to know his customers, really caring about what they said, and making them feel important, special and listened to. I certainly found this to be true. Genius. Don't just sit behind a desk and imagine what people want, get out there and ask.

Again, the other day, saw customer care first hand. I was at a luncheon with my mother and grandmother, when Tim Zagat stopped by to say, "Hi" to them. After being introduced to him, and wondering why he would want to be at a luncheon filled with women, he produced a card from his pocket and handed it to me. Again, this was no ordinary card, it was "special gift" treating me to downloads of his guides. Brilliant. It made me feel special and cared for as a customer, which is, after all, what we all would like.

I have always enjoyed hearing from my customers, making customer care a priority, and giving them "special gifts" when ever possible. These two examples reinforce just how important it is to not only listen to my customers, but to make a extra effort to reach out to them, make them feel cared for, and listen to them so I know what is and isn't working. There is no doubt that technology is an incredible tool allowing us to reach people all over the world in seconds, and enables us to get more done, often in less time than ever before; however, there is still no substitute personal connections, and always making customers feel cared for.