Via Becky Carroll of Customers Rock!, we see how a local Starbucks featured a customer’s favorite drink combo as “Customer Latte of the Week: Mary’s Latte.” Think Mary told anyone about this? Think anyone tried a new drink? Think anyone told their friends about the unique promotion? The Lesson: Acknowledging frequent customers can be pretty simple…
Acknowledge your frequent customers to get people talking
Word of mouth research: Online word of mouth conversations about customer service drive purchase decisions
In a study of more than 300 internet users, the Society for New Communications Research reveals how customer care experiences lead to online word of mouth conversations. The findings include: 74% choose companies/brands based on others’ customer care experiences shared online 81% believe that blogs, online rating systems and discussion forums can give consumers a…
SmartyPig uses word of mouth to encourage savings
SmartyPig offers a free online financial savings service that allows users to create profiles, establish savings goals and have their friends and family contribute. Founders Mike Ferrari and Jon Gaskell describe the concept: We thought, what if we could give our customers the opportunity to make their accounts public (or not), so that their mom,…
Word of mouth research: Word of mouth’s key role in the beverage industry
Sixty-two percent of consumers say they are likely to purchase a beverage product once it has been recommended to them according to a study released from Keller Fay Group and highlighted in AdAge. The report also shows that while the majority of recommendations of beverages include an appeal to buy or try the product, the…
How to ask for a referral: Lead with making sure the customer is satisfied
Referrals are best won when you ask politely and it follows an initial note ensuring the satisfaction of your customers. Here’s an example from a small Minnesota auto dealer, a letter sent about six months after the sale: I thought I would write to say thank you again. I try to keep in contact with…