Well played Hell Pizza, well played - the power of pizza + customer service

Do we overlook how important customer service is? Not only as a business strategy, but as a marketing strategy?

I think so.

It's easy to get carried away in marketing with shiny object syndrome... the latest bot, social network, actually we need something with virtual reality goggles... (you get the idea!). But amazing customer service has always been the heart of good business. Why? For me it's two reasons:

1. It brings it back to PEOPLE (not bots, or leads, but real people whose problems you are solving and your real employees who will solve those problems).

2. It generates one of the most powerful forms of marketing - word of mouth!

For an example let's turn to one of my favourite brands... Hell Pizza*.

Friday night, I'm ordering pizza. (Don't judge). I decide to test out the one they call 'NZ's Healthiest Pizza' - yes those of us that work in marketing aren't immune to the psychology tactics used! :D

NZ's healthiest pizza - image source Newshub

I'm a fussy gal so i order it without mushrooms. I arrive to pick up and they hand me not one but TWO pizzas. What's this I say?

"We accidentally made you a pizza with mushrooms, so we made another one without the mushrooms and you get them both for no extra charge."

WINNING! This is such a small example but it shows the power of great customer service. Of surprise and delight and making someone's day with free pizza.

More importantly - for word of mouth marketing. I told about 4 friends/family about my sweet pizza deal. (It's the small things in life right?) And now, I've written an entire blog about it.

If they had mucked up my order and apologised (or offered me a small discount) I would have been mildly annoyed. I also would have mentioned my pizza to no one.

So well played Hell Pizza, well played. Keep on rocking with your pizza and sweet customer service.

Action:

So for 2019 have a think about the daily small interactions you have with customers and how each and every tiny one is an opportunity to grow your business through that extra little effort.

*Not my favourite brand because of their pizza (though the healthy pizza was pretty good!). I admire their out-there, risky marketing, they are a brand that stays true to their brand 500% and is always pushing the edge with their campaigns (rabbit skin billboard anyone?).