A Guest Post by
Rosemary ONeill
Last week, my husband and I went out to eat at a new restaurant. It was obviously a family-owned affair. While we were waiting for our food, a guy appeared out of the kitchen hoisting aloft a plate of hot wings. He said, âthese are for anyone who wants to try them.â Of course, I had to try them, and they were excellent.
I asked the guy what they were called. He said, âI donât know, they donât have a name yet, what do you suggest?â I laughingly said, âcall them Rosemaryâs Wings!â He said, âwe just might do that.â
Do you think I might be curious to revisit that restaurant to see whether my wings are on the menu? You bet. And if they are, do you think Iâm likely to return again and again? Yessiree.
That restaurant has the same opportunity all business owners have—to literally embed customers in the business. At my company, weâve had a long-standing tradition of making little gestures that weave customers into our daily work; naming features after them, using their names on documentation, hiding âEaster Eggsâ in the code, and thanking them for suggestions that lead to new software features.
Once a customer has been âembedded,â they have a feeling of investment that is very hard to break, as if your business is their personal project.
What are you doing to make it personal? Is there a small crazy gesture you can make that will earn you a customer-for-life?
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Author’s Bio: Rosemary OâNeill is an insightful spirit who works for social strata — a top ten company to work on the Internet. Check out their blog. You can find her on Twitter as @rhogroupee