Image courtesy of Bang & Olufsen
permission being requested.

10 years ago I purchased a post-modern telephone from Bang & Olufsen and it served us faithfully until an electrical storm recently took it out.  That was a sad day. It led to my calling the manufacturer and ordering a replacement.  They offered me a discount because I was purchasing the same product 10 years later.  It was their way of saying thanks for my loyalty. Soon the telephone arrived and I set it up easily and it worked perfectly, as promised. My happiness was restored.

But then two weeks later something unexpected happened.  A hand addressed envelope arrived with a neatly typed “Thank You Letter” inside that was personally signed by an executive from Bang & Olufsen.  It was a simple letter printed in black and white.  The photograph of the two founders caught my eye. This company was going way out of their way to say thanks to a small customer. That really impressed me.

In our age of Internet communications something as simple as a personal letter can make a stronger impact on a customer than a full color package of printed collateral.

Something to consider: Maybe they did business better 50 years ago?  We can certainly learn something from them today.  Clearly, Bang & Olufsen understands that customers come first, products second, and there is no better way to say thank you than with a personal touch.