Every company has imperfections.
Things go wrong, delays pop up, missteps happen, or something slips through quality control.
It happens to even the best of brands. But the great companies — the ones whose fans will defend them even when things go sour — are the ones who see these stumbles as opportunities to earn some fresh love and respect from a customer.
How a word of mouth marketing supergenius does it:
When people are stuck waiting in line at Lou Mitchell’s Restaurant & Bakery — which happens a lot due to the place’s popularity — they hand out free donut holes.
It’s just the sort of pleasant little surprise that thanks everyone for their patience, and it leads to everyone talking about the free snacks rather than the long lines to their friends and when writing their online reviews.
