Out of all the brands and services I use, 80% are those I use out of a mixture of necessity, habit, and a preference for the default option. There is very less love and loyalty here.
The remaining 20% are a completely different matter. Half of these I love as an admirer of the good work they do. Apple and Amazon fall into this category. I listen to what they have to say, watch their promotional videos, and don’t mind their occasional unwanted email.
The other half are brands I love. These brands simply make me want to come back for more. Two that repeatedly wow me are Audible.com and Singapore Airlines. Audible.com’s customer service has been consistently impeccable. They’ve been so good that I once asked them if they could share their training material because their care comes through even on an email – every single time. They didn’t quite comply on that one but hey, I knew it was a long shot.
Singapore Airlines is a real anomaly in the airline world. Most simply suck. Others do a half hearted job of trying to make you feel comfortable. Singapore Airlines takes it to a whole new level. I would wager a bet that the Economy class on Singapore Airlines treats you better than Business class on most airlines. And the Business class, well, is just something else.. (I hear Qatar Airways matches up in most respects but I’m too much in love to even consider a switch)
I realize that part of the magic of Audible, Singapore Airlines, Apple, Amazon and the like is that they make you want to come back for more.
We live in a world where we are all, in effect, virtual brands. We float our wares online through our Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, and Google+ profiles and of course, have an important offline presence where we actually get the opportunity to touch people every day.
How do we do? Do we make our customers, clients, and colleagues want to come back to us for more?
A Learning a Day 