Author Andrew Scott preaches it about the importance of being earnest where one’s customers are concerned. I particularly like the concept of the lovemark:
Kevin Roberts, CEO of Saatchi & Saatchi claims “Brands are running out of juice.” He’s concluded that “love” is what is needed to rescue brands. He asks “What builds loyalty that goes beyond reason?” Customer service – which includes any interaction with your customer – is a huge part of this. Roberts coined the term “Lovemark” as a step beyond the concept of a simply having “a brand.” I love this idea, of a Lovemark; of irrational loyalty.
You know the type: fanboys. People whose enthusiasm for a company’s products or services resemble the relationship people have for a favorite movie or TV show.
The experiment Scott conducts further into the piece is interesting, if anecdotal: conduct a Google search on the phrase “I hate…” followed by the name of a brand. Then repeat the same search, but using “I love…” and again, inserting the brand. Divide the “I loves” by the “I hates” to derive a quick assessment of your brand’s social equity. It may be statistically unsound, but it does give you a starting point when comparing your brand reputation relative to your competitors’.
via How do startups make customer service scale into awesomeness? .
