My friend Carrie works at Starbucks. After morning walks, I often stop by her store to order a “grande ‘bold’ coffee of the day, room for cream”. Sometimes I stop to pick up the coffee to take along on the walk simply because it makes me happy. I like feeling happy and figure my customers do too. Have you noticed tucking a little extra ‘happy’ into every order might have value beyond the obvious immediate?

Careful Brewing

Just as Starbucks or any other designer coffee merchant knows, adding a little extra happy into the daily grind has huge benefit. As Perka says, “Think mobile punch card!”

As an online biz owner, we ‘virtually’ get to know our customers through blogging, emailing and social media to get an idea of what is going on in the life of our artisan and personal friends then interact through comments that include acknowledging a child’s recent achievement; an anniversary or other seminal moment or event. In our shops we can create a unique listing that sells ‘Cheaper by the dozen’ or a ‘Baker’s Dozen‘, offer ‘virtual’ coupons and discounts at time of purchase or a static announcement i.e.

Make 5 purchases and receive half off the next purchase!

One More Customer-Making Catalyst

I subscribe to TUT and Twisted Pinky to be daily inspired. I am connected with Twisted Pinky via Facebook. Some weeks ago I received a note from Tracy at INKengage with the intriguing title: What’s Your Lollipop?

As an Etsy Shop online boutique small biz owner we have the unique opportunity to personalize our engagement with customers, similar to the way a storefront biz can serve a customer face-2-face with a smile.

Remember that bank teller at the drive- thru window who noticed your dog in the car then tucks a doggie biscuit into the drawer with your transaction? While we may not be able to ‘look the customer in the eye’ and say “Thank you and have a nice a day”, we can offer them the attention of a carefully crafted gift that says “I love you customer!”

What Size of Lollipop?

Whether its a wrapped piece of candy or something else, choosing a lollipop requires consideration about the size and value of these ‘extras’ keeping in mind the additional TIME spent on creating and wrapping the lollipop is worth $$ too and can reduce profit, but maybe the R.O.I. for us goes beyond the obvious immediate of the customer receiving an ‘extra’ gift.

Depending on what we choose as the ‘more bang for the buck’ gift, it also serves as a golden opportunity for us to show off a new product-in-development; to ask for feedback; expand the customer’s knowledge of us or to deepen our customer service impression and brand allegiance.

Since I want to include a gift with a subtle message to simulate how Hide A Heart creates romantic treasure hunts, recently I have begun to tuck a THANK YOU ‘lollipop’ into the package wrapped as a ‘surprise’ reinforcing my own practice of ‘being the rainbow’ and additional hope that just maybe that customer will remember the little extra R.O.I. effort I made when looking for gifts that say I love you for an anniversary, wedding, friendship, relationship health or wellness and be more likely to choose Hide A Heart.