Are you loyal to products because of the brand? Why do you think that is?
At 805connect we do a lot of phone work. We also listen to music on headphones so we don’t disturb others. Two years ago, a team member bought a pair of high-end headphones and fell in love. The brand is well known for its quality. Oddly, though, the headphones failed after just four months.
He contacted support and had a very satisfying experience. The headphones were replaced, the support staff were friendly and reinforced the positive feeling about the brand. Unfortunately, the headphones failed three more times over several months. In each instance, the support staff was amazing and apologetic and eager to send back a working product quickly.
One might wonder why he kept going back. The investment could easily have been written off, yet the product was so good when it worked, he kept hoping they’d get it right. He had this feeling of loyalty even in the midst of repeated product failure.
This week he spent an hour talking to the Product Marketing Manager for the company. After sharing his experience and answering their questions, they are sending out another pair of headphones, and this time, he’s keeping logs of it’s use. Now he is a part of the process.
Is this extended experience a good idea for everyone? Only if you love the creative process and the collaborative nature of design. In this instance he saw an opportunity to help the company with a real world situation. Why would he do this? Because he loves the brand. He’s used their products for years and doesn’t want to quit now.
So, think about your product or service. Do your customers love your brand enough to endure repeated product failures? When your product does miss the mark, how do you handle it? We all make mistakes. What turns our customers into raving fans is how we handle the bad times as well as the good.
If you have a story about brand loyalty that you’d like to share, please do, in the comments area below.
