How to Turn Customers into Raving Fans with One Email

This last Christmas, my wife and I ordered some Baylor University fan gear from Fanatics. My experience wasn't bad, although I do remember thinking the shipping seemed unusually slow.  I chalked it up to the holidays and really didn't think much about it.  The sweatshirt, cap, and other things I bought were good quality and, overall, I was pleased with my order.

However, I recently received this email from Fanatics:

My response?  Wow!  I hadn't sent an email or called regarding my order.  They noticed all by themselves what happened and not only sent me an email acknowledging this, but also gave me credit for more merchandise!

Smart.  Very, very smart.

Why would they do this?  After all, I didn't complain and, likely, would have ordered from them again.  They have some of the best prices on the internet for college apparel.  Here are three reasons why they sent this email.

The best marketing is customer referrals.

You can spend a lot of money on advertising, but all the money in the world won't replace a bad experience.  The only thing that can overcome that is building a good relationship with your clients.  That's what they did here.  They built a relationship with me in one email.

Customer service is driven from the top down.

The CEO of Fanatics obviously knows how to treat customers.  In my experience, this kind of customer service is rare, and it takes moves like this to set yourself apart from the crowd.

Authenticity builds customer rapport.

This company was willing to admit a mistake and do what they could to rectify the situation.  Was I an angry customer?  No.  Would I have purchased from them again?  More than likely.  What was the outcome of this email?

I'm a fan now.  A huge fan.  And what do fans do?  They talk to others about their experience.  Just like I am.  Now, you might become a fan too.  All because of one email, a willingness to admit a mistake, and going the extra mile to take care of it.

Customer service isn't about telling people how awesome you are, it’s about creating stories that do the talking for you. [Quote from the Buffer blog.]

How many times do we lose customers (or influence) because we are too proud to admit that we're wrong?

How many times do we miss opportunities to turn customers (or followers) into raving fans because they haven't complained or seem to be doing "just fine"?

What can we learn from a company like this that is willing to go above and beyond to reach out to their customers and turn them into raving fans?

What will you do to increase your fan base?  Spend more money on advertising? Or use some of those advertising dollars to turn ordinary clients into lifelong enthusiasts?

How creative can you get?  Let me know your plans to turn customers into raving fans in the comments below.

Image credit: lisafx / 123RF Stock Photo