What's Your Purple Goldfish? How to Win Customers and Influence Word of Mouth

by Stan Phelps

  Leon Leonwood Bean was an avid hunter and fisherman in Freeport, Maine. During his outdoor activities he noticed that his boots would become soaked. In 1911, the 39 year old Bean set out to solve this problem and developed plans for a waterproof boot. The Bean boot was a combination of lightweight leather for the upper part of the boot and rubber on the bottom. He brought the plans to a cobbler and the first boots were made. Bean felt the boot produced to be of good quality, obtained a list of non-resident Maine hunting license holders and prepared a descriptive mail order circular (His first catalogue was a whopping 4 pages). He promised 100% money back for anyone who was unhappy with the boots. Because of this, Bean had to refund 90% of the first 100 sets of boots made, when the rubber on the bottom developed cracks. Bean seemed not to mind returning the money, the popularity of the boots was clear.

  Barry Dalton relays a wonderful story about L.L. Bean:

  My friends recently decided to take up hiking the Appalachian Trail as a hobby. I could probably think of about 3 dozen more leisurely activities to pick up as a “hobby”. But awesome for them!

  So, about sixty or seventy miles into their latest trek last week, they were strolling within a few miles of my house and asked to camp for the night for a hot meal and a shower. So, after devouring half the food in the house and getting cleaned up, we all sat down with a bottle of wine to hear some stories.

  My friend proceeds to tell me that at a campground, he and a fellow hiker got their Bean Boot laces crossed, whereby the stranger ended up accidentally putting my friends boots into his backpack and hauling off down the trail. My friend, upon later putting his fellow long-departed sojourner’s size 14 boots on his size nine foot realized the mix up.

  He called L.L. Bean from the trail (in our connected world were no place is “out of range”) and told them of his dilemma. The Bean rep told him that he would FedEx a new pair of boots in the right size to my address for next day delivery. In return, they asked him to send the old boots back to them when he got back home.

  Oh, did I mention that they treated this like an exchange? Like… he didn’t have to buy the new pair of boots. And get this: The boots they were sending him cost 30 bucks less than the old ratty size 14’s he had in his sack. So, Bean sent him a gift card for the 30 bucks! I couldn’t make this stuff up!

  We finish the wine (and one or two more bottles, I think), went to sleep. And sure enough, around 10:00 a.m. the next day, the FedEx guy delivered a brand new pair of warm, dry Bean Boots to my door.

  So, do you think my friend will buy his next 10 pair of boots, and all his other outdoor, Daniel Boone, trail-blazing gear from L.L. Bean for the rest of his hiking days?

  Sometimes ‘NO’ isn’t a bad thing. In fact when it comes to free shipping and guarantees, how about no minimum orders for free shipping and no end date on guarantees. Throw in ‘no conditions’ for lagniappe. Kudos to L.L. Bean.

  2. Replace or repair and have fun [PG #835]

  JanSport via a tweet by @markosul:

  “Just received a notice from JanSport “thanking us” for returning a “vintage” backpack; they are sending us a new 1 free”

  It’s more than a bag. It’s a JanSport. A guarantee that carries on for the life of the backpack.

  Here’s a story from a post by the alaskanlibrarian: {Endnote 100}

  “Recently the JanSport backpack I’ve used for a number of years suffered “zipper disease” where it simply wouldn’t stay zipped. I went to the JanSport web site and looked up their lifetime warranty information. It took me a week or so to box up and mail my backpack. JanSport sent me a postcard when they received my backpack. Last Friday, about a week after the postcard, my backpack arrived in the mail. JanSport replaced my zipper free of charge and shipped it free to Alaska! It works as good as new. If you need a backpack, buy JanSport. It’s a great product backed by great service. And yes, I’ve bought more than one backpack from them.”

  Another great customer story. The account by Hillary Lipko at The Frustrated Bunny {Endnote 101} shows how JanSport goes above and beyond:

  I got my backpack back from JanSport yesterday, and I must say that I am more than impressed with the quality of the repairs. In fact, I’d say that they went well above and beyond the repairs I sent it in for. In the letter that I included with the backpack when I sent it, the only repairs I mentioned were that it needed the main compartment zipper replaced, and I needed the straps replaced. The zipper had contracted the dreaded “zipper disease,” and the foam in the straps had compressed so much that it might as well not have been there anymore. (Provided, these problems had occurred after about eight years of continuous use, which I think is pretty damn good.) Not only did they fix these things well beyond my satisfaction, they also replaced the handle on the top of the bag, the zipper pull that had broken off the front pocket, and the fraying of the fabric on some of the inside seams of the bag. None of those things bothered me, but I am beyond pleased that their repair center apparently takes time to assess the returned bag for everything that needs fixing rather than just relying on what the customer tells them.

  Marketing Lagniappe Takeaways: Stand behind your product for life. Fix mistakes or issues while keeping the customer informed. Look for ways to deliver above and beyond to exceed expectations. Have fun in the process.

  3. Guarantees designed to make you a customer for life [PG #460]

  Jeanne Bliss offered up Zane’s during a speech at a Net Promoter conference {Endnote 102}.

  Free tune ups and lifetime warranty. Here’s the breakdown from founder Chris Zane:

  “Every bicycle purchased from Zane’s Cycles comes with our exclusive Lifetime Free Service and Lifetime Parts Warranty. Anytime your bicycle needs service, a full tune-up or just a quick adjustment, we will make those necessary adjustments for free as long as you own your bicycle.”

  The guarantee doesn’t just stop there. Zane’s also offers:

  90-Day Price Protection. We guarantee you will never overpay at Zane’s Cycles. If you find any item you purchased in stock for less anywhere in Connecticut within 90 days, we’ll gladly refund you the difference, plus an additional 10% in cash.

  30 Day Test Ride. To guarantee you have purchased the correct bicycle, ride it for 30 days. If during that time you are not completely satisfied, please return the bicycle for an exchange. We will gladly give you a full credit toward your new selection.

  Serious. Fun. Guaranteed. Twenty five + years ago we started with the belief, “the only difference between us and our competition is the service that we offer.” If you don’t feel that we are living up to our mission, let us know and we’ll fix it immediately. If you have a concern and would like to discuss it with me directly, please e-mail me. I will personally respond to you.

  Chapter 18

  #6 - Pay it Forward

  “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.”

  - Lewis Carroll

  GIVING BACK AND PAYING IT FORWARD

  Sometimes the little extra is not about the customer, but rather giving back to the community or to those in need.

  Let’s look at a handful of examples:

  1. Right from the Heart [PG #123]

  Plaza Cleaners in Portland, Oregon submitted by Blue Young:

  “I think it counts, though it’s not so typical. They will clean someone’s suit for free if they’re unemployed and need the suit for a job interview.”

  2. ONE BAG, ONE BOOK [PG #432]

  Tyson Adams helps people with a simple premise. His company liveGLOCAL lands in the Purple Goldfish Project with a feel good extra.

  “With every bag of coffee you purchase, liveGLOCAL gives one book to a child in need.”

  3. Honoring the Troops [PG #782]

  Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf was submitted via e-mail by Ryan Macaulay of Epic Sports. In Ryan’s words:

  “At Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf in LA, if you buy a bag of coffee to support our troops overseas , {Endnot
e 103} Coffee Bean will buy your round of coffees at the time of purchase. Even better, there is a blank white area on the actual coffee bag designated specifically for you to write a personal message to the troops the coffee is going to!”

  4. Save $$$ and plant up to a dozen trees a year… Chegg gets top grades [PG #235]

  Chegg chuggs into the Purple Goldfish Projec t from the folks over at Gaspedal: {Endnote 104}

  College students love Chegg for their cheap textbook rentals, free shipping, and eco-friendly business philosophy. Chegg believes that renting a book instead of buying it new helps save trees. This isn’t just their corporate mission statement, the company actually functions around this core value. For every book they rent, they plant a tree in return. As the customer finishes their transaction, Chegg presents a world map and asks the customer to pick a country or region to plant their tree in. It’s a simple, visual way of engaging during the transaction process and giving back to the community at the same time. Customers can then tell the world what they did by linking their Chegg transaction to their Facebook profile or Twitter account.

  5. Give to Get [PG #149]

  If you gave a day of volunteer service to a participating organization in 2010, you received one day of free admission to a Disney Park. The folks at Disney called this first-of-its-kind program, “ Give a Day , Get a Disney Day. ” {Endnote 105}

  The premise is simple and straightforward - a free one-day ticket to a Disneyland or Walt Disney World theme park for guests who volunteer a day of service to a participating organization.

  Chapter 19

  #7 - Thank You / Follow Up

  “Learn to say thank you every time.”

  -Jill Griffi

  FOLLOWING UP AND SAYING “THANK YOU”

  After covering six “value” PG’s, this chapter marks the first type of “maintenance” focused Purple Goldfish. The seventh Purple Goldfish is the expression of thanks to a customer. A personal gesture that conveys both appreciation and acknowledgement.

  Let’s look at 9 examples:

  1. The power of the pen… and some stickers [PG #770]

  Gary Vaynerchuk’s offers up Wufoo in his book, The Thank You Economy. {Endnote 106} The online HTML form developer sends handwritten thank you notes, sometimes crafted out of construction paper and decorated with stickers.

  2. A simple way to “Hug Your Customers” [PG #805]

  Taken from a tweet by Annette Franz @annettefranz

  Annette cites 1 to 1 media’s post on Mitchells by Ginger Conlon: {Endnote 107}

  When was the last time you personally thanked a customer? Sent a handwritten note? Last year Jack Mitchell wrote 1,793 personal notes to customers of his retail stores. That’s about five notes a day, every day.

  Mitchell is CEO of The Mitchells Family of Stores, which owns several high-end retail stores, including Marsh, Mitchells, and Richards-and is author of Hug Your Customers. He spoke at the Conference Board Customer Experience Leadership Conference about connecting with customers on a more personal level.

  Every touch-point, every interaction, every detail–these are all opportunities to connect with customers in way that creates engagement and builds retention. “It can be something as simple as a smile,” Mitchell said. “It’s about making a human connection. Connections are ‘hugs.’ And hugs create loyalty.”

  So do great people, he said. Great product is a given; personalized service is where you can really make a difference. So the company looks for people who are honest, positive, competent, and nice, and have a passion to listen, learn, and grow. The retailer retains and engages it employees by using them in catalogs and ads, and by providing them with the product and customer information they need to deliver outstanding service. Also, there’s no commission, which encourages collaboration. “It [all] helps to increase their commitment to customer service,” he said.

  A technology backbone is the third leg of the customer experience stool. The company has tracked every purchase by SKU since 1989, and as a result, has a comprehensive database of customers’ product and channel preferences–and knows exactly who its top customers are, by spend. The company uses the information to create personalized mailings, send relevant event invitations (e.g., trunk shows), and the like.

  This blended high-touch, high-tech approach helps keep customers right where Mitchell wants them–at center of the company’s universe–because customer centricity, he said, is profitable. In fact, 72 percent of the retailer’s merchandise is sold at full price. “Focus on what’s most important,” he said. “Customers.”

  3. Save the date stickers are an added touch [PG #332]

  From a subscriber of the Metropolis Performing Arts Center:

  “We have season tickets to our local theater, Metropolis Performing Arts in Arlington Heights, IL. When we receive the tickets in the mail, included are round Metropolis stickers that I can use to put on my calendar to remember our theater nights.”

  4. A little thoughtful personal touch from the Captain [PG #710]

  Taken from a blog post by Ivan Misner: {Endnote 108}

  Long lines, deteriorating service, flight attendants grabbing a beer and pulling the emergency exit handle to slide out onto the tarmac are part of our vision of airlines these days.

  However, I had an experience last week that was truly amazing in this day and age. My wife and I were flying on United from LAX to New Orleans for a business conference. Before we were about to land, Rebecca, the flight attendant, handed me a business card from the Captain. His name is Patrick Fletcher. On the back of Captain Fletcher’s card was a handwritten note that said:

  Flight 139, January 19, 2011

  Mr. and Mrs. Misner,

  It’s great to have you both with us today – Welcome! I hope you have a great visit to New Orleans – we really appreciate your business!

  Sincerely,

  Pat Fletcher

  Rebecca (who was a great flight attendant, by the way), told me the Captain wrote these notes to everyone who was a member of their premier level frequent flier club as well as all the first class passengers. On this day, that was around 12 people. She said he is great to fly with because he really treats the passengers AND the crew very well, mentioning that he had brought scones to all of them that morning.

  I fly A LOT. In the last 20 years, I’ve probably traveled on over 800 flights all around the world. In that time, I’ve never received a personal note from the Captain.

  Entrepreneurs and major corporations alike can learn from this story. Personal service that goes above and beyond the call of duty, can generate great word of mouth.

  Captain Fletcher – my hat’s off to you. Well done. I think this is a great example of how one person in a really large company can make a difference in a customer’s attitude. Your note was creative and appreciated. I hope to be flying with you again.

  5. The Follow Up call is a little thing that makes a big difference [PG #365]

  From Barry Dalton of Customer Service Stories. Barry referenced a post from Kristina Evey. {Endnote 109}

  Here is an excerpt from Kristina:

  I love being a mom more than anything else in the whole world, even chocolate. But, one of the things I dread as a mom is getting that phone call from school informing me that one of my children has “Pinkeye.” So, last Tuesday, I picked up my daughter from school and headed to the doctor’s office for the diagnosis that I already knew was coming and then to the drug store to pick up the prescription drops.

  Now, putting drops into the eyes of a six year old is no easy feat. Especially when that six year old has decided that she is a drama queen and is going to milk the situation for all it is worth. When I picked up the drops, the pharmacist at Rite Aid suggested some methods for administering the drops that might make it easier and less stressful. Nonetheless, the suggested methods were just as torturous as me literally sitting on my daughter and squirting the drops in her eyes.

  However, after two days of drops every four hours, my d
aughter and I came to a point where we did try the pharmacist’s suggestion and were able to administer the drops with no drama at all. So, this is a pretty mundane situation. Nothing really noteworthy.

  Until... we get the call from the pharmacist two days later asking how my daughter’s eye infection is doing and if we had any problems administering the eye drops. No, this wasn’t a call from the doctor’s office. It was the pharmacist from Rite Aid delivering excellent customer service. She was taking the time and interest to call and see how the treatment was working, if we had encountered any problems, and if we had any questions she could answer. She was connecting with me, the customer. The business transaction, for all practical purposes, was complete. She was following up to nurture the relationship. That’s effectively managing the customer experience. Now, they may have designed this into the process at Rite Aid. But that’s the point – they design a positive customer experience into their plans.

  This really might not seem like a big deal, until you think about how often this doesn’t happen. How many times do you receive a follow up phone call from the provider of the product or service you purchased from to see if there was anything they could help you with? I’ll bet it’s less often than you think.

  The noticeable thing is that it wasn’t the physician who treated her, or even that office. I paid them much more for the physician’s time and diagnosis than I did the drug store for the drops.