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Sunday was a beautiful, bright and hot day in downtown Milwaukee, not a bad day to walk a few blocks but less than ideal for lugging 20 pounds of ice, 3 six packs and a 12 pack of beer four blocks to my car. Nonetheless, there I was with my box of beer and ice perilously balanced as I walked along pondering why I was so loyal to the particular liquor store (Blatz Liquor in the Old Blatz Brewery) I had just left.
Why, when I couldn’t find parking due to a big event downtown, did I park in the lot of one store that sold beer and walk 4 blocks to another one on this particular Sunday ? It sure wasn’t for loyalty points that would eventually get me a $5 off coupon. It was because of the relationship, through connections, product knowledge and communication, I had developed with the store and the people that work there.
Here are the “three secrets” (or just old fashioned common sense ideas) to developing good relationships and driving true customer loyalty from Generation Y individuals:
Connections
In the case mentioned above, the owner of the store (Joe Woelfle, @BlatzLiquor, 1000+ Followers) and the staff interact directly with customers making connections in person around the product being sold. That’s not all though, Joe and his team reach out via Facebook and Twitter to engage a loyal customer base even before they show up in person.
Product Knowledge
Big box stores have their place and shouldn’t be ignored but, the knowledge that some stores can share leave customers satisfied and looking forward to their next purchase. This fulfillment of customer curiosity is often viewed as paramount for Gen Y Young Professionals.
Think about the Apple Store, an undisputed leader in marketing to the Millenial generation, it has hands-on examples everywhere and never-ending opportunities for classes and one-on-one sessions. Product knowledge sharing isn’t just a tech thing though, Blatz Liquor has numerous free wine and beer tasting session that keep old customers coming back, bring in new customers, challenge customers to try new things and ultimately make for blockbuster sales numbers.
Communication
Not just emails! Let me say it again, get past the newsletters! Yes, they have their place but, they quickly get viewed as spam and ignored. Especially after multiple invites/reminders. When Joe has an event, I passively notice a Tweet, see a post on the company’s blog with more information, commit to a Facebook invite and, only sometimes, receive an email. As communication continues to segment, companies need to be familiar with each segment and use them properly to build a loyal millennial customer base.
What makes you a loyal customer? Do have any other great examples beyond Apple and my local favorite, Blatz Liquor? Share them in the comments!
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Comments
07.15.09
i guess i need to visit them once in a while :)
07.15.09
I'm sorry, I just can't get over the fact that you're writing about buying beer & liquor on Sunday. That's a foreign concept in the South. Sunday + alcohol does not compute.
I have not started a new relationship with a company based on their engaging me. But my existing relationships with companies have strengthened and faltered based on their social media presence. I'm impressed with companies like Charter and Comcast for actively using Twitter to help their customers in real-time.
Anecdotal evidence: I had a problem with one of my vendors at work. I called them to resolve it, only to get poor customer service. Feeling dejected, I reached out to my Twitter community to see if anyone knew of another vendor I could use that would do the same thing for me. Bear in mind that my Twitter profile does not contain my full name, nor do I mention the company I work for. About two weeks later, I get a call from a high-up (can't recall the title) from the vendor. He personally apologizes and admits that my call was not handled properly. They're now using the recording of my experience for training purposes. They also credited me for that month's services.
Long story short: they saved an account. Though they didn't treat me well initially, their follow-up impressed me so much that I'm willing to continue using them instead of going elsewhere.
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