Springtime is upon us, and the Easter Season is here. This time of year always brings me back to being a kid, and shopping with my family in order to find the perfect look for the Easter Sunday holiday.
The more I think I about it, it also brings me back to the first time I experienced amazing customer service, I was 11 years-old. I lived in Palm Beach Florida at the time, and my parents would often take me to a department store called Jacobson’s in order to get my Easter’s best dressed blazer or correct fitting chinos etc. I will alway remember the way the sales staff engaged with me and my family; with such patience and careful attention to detail. I also remember how they made me feel. Important.
An 11 year old pubescent (almost) teenage boy feeling excited about his new clothes. It was more about how the staff were patient and engaging with me, and less about the clothing I was wearing. There was an allure to the customer experience that allowed for multiple generations to shop, engage and have a memorable experience.
From my grandparents who were born in the 1920’s, to my parents who were born in the 1950’s, and my siblings and cousins who were born in the late 70’s early 80’s, it felt like the right place to get your first blazer, the best attire for First Communion, or Bar Mitzvah, or even simply “Back To School” clothing.
It was just a wonderful place where great product met great service, and generations of families made important buying decisions that impacted the impending holiday or events coming down the path. Key decisions were made during those transactions, and the staff at Jacobson’s understood exactly what the customer needed in order to engage throughout the buying journey the right way at each moment.
Sadly, Jacobson’s doesn’t exist anymore as it went bankrupt in 2011. It had 164 year run and fought the 80’s and 90’s the best it could until eCommerce upended the brand in the 2000’s.
You can learn more about Jacobson’s here.
It is this kind of service, and attention to detail we need with today’s consumer. It is what makes the customer journey memorable and unique. It is what makes people feel important in the moment. It is what builds brand legacy, long after the brand is dead.
Be memorable, make your customers feel important. *
