January 9, 2006

"Surprise Your Customers!"

As I recall, that's one of the admonitions in Selling the Invisible, a very good book that I haven't read in some time.

West Hereford was discussing with me today that well-known consumer journey from awareness to loyalty. We all seek to address successfully every step along that journey, so that we can ultimately earn the loyalty of our customers.

"Surprising" customers is a great way to move more quickly toward loyalty.

On Saturday, I had a personal experience with surprise.

For many, many years one of Charleston's finest antique stores - named for its legendary founder, Jack Patla - has had a small coach and eight horses in the front window. They were made a very long time ago by Britains, the famous manufacturer of toy lead soldiers.

Mr. Patla considered this coach and horses to be a good luck charm, so he never wanted to sell it, even though I tried many times to buy it, since I have a small collection of Britains from my childhood.

His successor at the shop - Peter Loda - also has viewed the coach and horses as a good luck charm, especially since they were so viewed by dear Mr. Patla.

Nevertheless, from time to time, I have asked Peter if he would sell them. He has very nicely said "No," adding that if he ever did sell them he would sell them to me.

Saturday, I noticed that one horseman had lost his head and some of the horses were lying on their side. So I went into the store and joked with Peter that maybe it was time to sell them. He looked carefully at them, remarked that they were indeed dusty, and took them out of the window.

I had never seen them out of the window, and that was quite an event in and of itself.

But then he began to wrap them up. "Are you selling them to me?" I asked in astonishment. "If so, what is the price?"

"No," he said. "I am giving them to you. You have always wanted them. I think they should have a good home. And I know you will give them a good home."

I was speechless. This was such an extraordinary gesture. Such a grand surprise. Such an affirmation that there are wonderfully generous souls in this world even today. And such a tribute not only to Peter but also to Jack Patla who I think would smile with pride that he had passed his store on to someone of such remarkable character.