As marketers, we’re always on the lookout for that one special thing that separates a client’s product or service from that of its competition. We throw around terms like “unique selling proposition” and “point of differentiation,” but whatever you call it, the more competitors that enter the marketplace, the harder and harder it is to find.

So, what do you do when you find yourself going after customers alongside competitors who offer almost exactly the same thing you do?

You focus on what we consider to be the number one marketing tool of all time.

Customer service.

It all comes down to relationships

Hal Riney, number 30 on Advertising Age’s “Top 100 people of the 20^th century,” once said, “In a parity world, my best friend wins.”

While we all like to think our purchase behaviors are purely rational—they’re not. For proof, just think about how often you drive past a particular restaurant, store or organization only to get virtually the exact same thing from one of their competitors? Now, how often do you do it regardless of price?

Probably more than you realize.

That’s because loyalty is often built upon how well we are treated—good or bad.

Pickles

Years ago, when I was working at Wichita State University, my boss made me, and all of her other employees, watch a video called, “Give ’em the Pickle” featuring Bob Farrell, the founder of Farrell’s Ice Cream Parlour & Restaurant. In it, Mr. Farrell recounts witnessing a cashier in one of his restaurants attempting to up-charge a customer who wanted an additional pickle on his hamburger. Astonished, Mr. Farrell stepped in to ensure that not only the customer got his extra pickle for free, but got it with a smile. You see, Mr. Farrell recognized that something as small as a single pickle slice could tip the scales of brand loyalty in your favor or in the favor of one of your competitors.

Pantsuits

Other companies have built almost their entire reputation around customer service. Nordstrom, for example, is notorious for going out of their way to serve its customers—and even those that aren’t. The story goes that years ago, a man pulled up to a Nordstrom store with a set of snow tires in the back of his truck he wanted to return. The problem was, he purchased them from a tire store that was previously in the location that Nordstrom now stood. Unfazed, management at Nordstrom quickly refunded the man’s money. While in the short-term, that decision may have cost the company a few hundred dollars, the story has been retold countless times and has helped shape Nordstrom’s reputation for generations of consumers.

Puke                                 

As a family, we experienced the power of great customer service a few years ago during a stay at Cheeca Lodge & Spa—a return visit to the place where Carrie and I were married. At the time, we had a four-year-old and a nine-month-old with us. During an afternoon swim our oldest swallowed a bit too much pool water and promptly threw up. Completely embarrassed, and a little grossed out, we cleaned up and quickly slipped back to our room. Minutes later, we heard a knock on the door and immediately assumed it was management coming to politely ask us to leave. When we cracked open the door, it was management, but instead of asking us to leave, they presented us with a plate of warm cookies and a glass of milk they said they hoped would make our son feel better. Now we can argue about whether cookies were the best thing to give a kid who just tossed his, but the gesture solidified our strong attachment to the resort.

It was just a plate of cookies, but it made a big impression.

The takeaway

Whenever we’re working with a client, we always stress the importance of going the extra mile, whether they’re engaging with their customers online or in person. And we remind them that, to outsiders, their employees are not simply “cashiers” or “customer service representatives,” they are the brand. Customer service should never be an after thought, it should be a priority and be invested in.