Two weeks ago my boyfriend and I went to a Bastille Day street festival in New York. I’m an absolute sucker for macarons (I can easily devour a whole sleeve in one sitting), so I wanted to find a box that we could take home and “share.”
As we shuffled our way down the crowded streets, we passed numerous macaron vendors. We would stop, inspect the pricing and flavors, and continue to peruse other options. At one point we stopped at a vendor that offered a whole rainbow of macarons. Red strawberry cookies; teal pistachio morsels—I could go on and on! I asked one of the sellers how many cookies I would receive in a standard box and for what cost. She politely answered my question and smiled. There was no denying that the vendor had offered the best deal of the day so far; however, we wanted to finish walking through the street fair and check out our other options. So, we left.
Once we reached the end of the festival, we decided that the vendor with the colorful macarons really was the best choice; we went back to the stand and asked the same seller for a box.
Surprised, she responded, “Oh, you’re back!” and then proceeded to tell us how much she appreciated our business and that the sale actually meant more to her knowing that we had returned after seeing other options.
Now, it’s possible that the seller was just trying to secure our dollar. However, her enthusiasm really struck me. I mean, I can’t remember the last time a brand thanked me for coming back to their website to complete a purchase. And would it really be that difficult to trigger a thank-you email with a token of appreciation after I clicked through a shopping cart abandonment email and converted?
The more I thought about this lack of gratitude, the more confused I became that brands weren’t expressing it. After all, aren’t they the ones trying to get me through the purchase funnel? Why should I be the one seeking a little appreciation? Wouldn’t they want to thank me for interacting with them?
Clearly, some brands need to brush up on their manners. Some companies do have this whole thank-you thing down pat. Here are three Direct Marketing News articles that explain how brands can better show appreciation for their customers and what are the benefits of doing so.
Oh, and you’re welcome.
