Are You Being Served?

As the country begins to cut back on non-essential products and services, customer service becomes an especially important element for those of you who market specialty items. And in a post at the Church of the Customer Blog, Jackie Huba lauds the personalized approach from Hem, an Austin, Texas, boutique that specializes in high-end jeans.

Huba freely admits that she—like most women—dreads the usually intimidating task of shopping for jeans. But with the guidance of Hem's approachable owner, Loree, Huba tried on at least 20 different styles to determine which worked best with her body type; along the way, Loree peppered their conversation with helpful advice that ranged from setting the color with the first wash to removing the odor of cigarette smoke. "Because of Loree's attention to the buying process," says Huba, "I bought two pairs of jeans confident I will look great in them. That will be my rational and emotional foundation to a strong referral."

The friendly, insightful service at Hem not only removed anxiety from Huba's shopping equation, it led to a satisfied customer and a word-of-mouth recommendation that will be seen by thousands of her readers—and now by you.

"When it comes to luxury items," says Huba, "there's an inverse relationship between price and service. The higher the price, the higher the expectation for hand-holding during the purchase." Keeping that in mind is your Marketing Inspiration.