How Good CX Moments Became Word of Mouth Gold
The highest compliment a customer can give you is a referral. In fact, 61% of marketing executives say word of mouth is the most effective form of marketing. Word of mouth doesn't show up on a media plan, but it’s one of your marketing team’s biggest levers.
It’s also something marketers have little control over; word of mouth is largely thanks to the customer experience team. It’s the result of investing time and resources into collecting feedback, processing it, and making incremental refinements or policy changes that orient around the customer. The goal is customer delight, not just satisfaction, and the returns compound over time.
Whether it’s proactive customer service, enhancements in AI-powered automatic resolutions, or straightforward loyalty programs, these things keep customers so happy they tell their friends and family about them and bring you new customers.
What Turns a Customer Into a Brand Evangelist
What customers remember and repeat to friends and family is being treated like a person, not a ticket number or a case to deflect. Here are five examples of brands that turned customers into customer evangelists with great CX:
The Birthday Gift That Was Out of Stock, Not Out of Luck
"I reached out to this clothing company that I've bought from for ten years, because I wanted to buy something for my brother’s birthday. It happened to be out of stock. So I reached out and asked if it would be back in stock within a certain amount of time, and I quickly got an email back that was very personalized, basically saying it should be in stock by a certain date, but also asking me when I needed it by. That kicked off a nice back-and-forth.
A couple of weeks later they reached out again, not only telling me the item was back in stock, but also sending me a discount code and thanking me for being a customer since 2016. I was able to get the gift for my brother, who now loves their clothes and recommends the brand to other people, and I had a great experience myself that made me feel appreciated as a customer and makes me want to keep that relationship going." - Sam Holzman, on a clothing brand.
The Dermatologist Who Never Felt Like a Chat Bubble
"What captivated me about Curology from the beginning was the ease of getting the product and speaking to a dermatologist about my specific needs. It was seamless. You log on, you can speak directly to your dermatologist, you can submit a claim, and it was just very easy for me at a point where I really needed that in my life. After ten years, that only got better.
Even though my dermatologist had clients all over the world, I always felt connected to her, like I was talking to a human being and not just another person on the end of a chat line. I was their biggest advocate. I'd pitch Curology to my family and friends, and I recruited a number of them to start using their products. What came to follow was the exact same sentiment that I felt towards Curology, which I loved to hear as someone who was pitching it." - Grace Harnisch, on Curology
The Refund That Beat the Mailman to the Punch
"I am a big reader and I buy almost all of my books from Thriftbooks. Once I bought a book and it was marked as delivered but it was not in my mailbox or my mailroom. I reached out over a contact form to let them know, and the next morning I got an email response with a refund! It meant a lot that I didn't have a long drawn out back-and-forth over the purchase.
I've stayed loyal to them and am now a huge fan of their rewards program, which is super straightforward to use, and have gotten friends to join it as well, because I know they'll have a great experience with Thriftbooks too." - Hope Dorman, on Thriftbooks
The Replacement Groomer Who Came Prepared
"I had a great experience with a local mobile dog groomer. The first groomer who came out sat with my nine-year-old Pomski for ten minutes, just petting him and making him comfortable before grooming even started, and that's what sold us. When that groomer left the company, they didn't wait for me to notice or reach out. They proactively texted me, explained the situation, and introduced a replacement who already knew everything about my dog, down to the fact that he likes to be petted at the doorstep first.
They even offered 50% off the next grooming to try him out. That kind of proactive care locked us in as customers for good, and I've since recommended them to three neighbors and two friends. They got five new clients from a single experience." - Kyle Miller, on a local dog groomer
The Pet Supply Brand that Lead With Empathy
"Several years back I was using a brand for my cat's food and treats on a subscription, and unfortunately my cat passed away. A couple months later I received a shipment of his food and treats, and it was obviously very sad. I reached out to let them know what happened and that I'd be canceling my subscription, and they responded with so much kindness and sincerity. They even let me know I could donate the remaining items to a local shelter or nearby pet store, which I did.
Last year, I got a new puppy, and I restarted with them and got some amazing treats and toys that she loves. But what stuck with me through all of that time was just how human they were in that interaction during such a sad moment. I let all of my friends and family know about what happened and how they handled it, because I think they just did a really good job." - Carina Shahin, on a pet supply brand
When CX Becomes Your Best Growth Channel
Sam had a clothing brand out of stock on his brother's birthday gift. Grace needed medical-grade skincare. Hope’s book was lost in the mail. Kyle’s dog groomer quit. Carina had to cancel a subscription.
Five different problems, one outcome: a company that handled the moment well turned a customer into a marketer… no ad spend required.
CX can drive revenue and help the company’s bottom line, but only if your technology supports a scaling business operation. Can your tech stack do that?
Curology and Thriftbooks are using Kustomer to power their customer experience.
Get a demo to learn more about how our platform can transform how your team operates, and turn CX from a cost center into a revenue driver.
