I've always believed that it's the little things that say the most when you're selling something or thanking someone for their purchase and loyalty.
It's funny how the car companies spend so much to try to get us to buy and keep us, yet forget the simplest rule:
Make the customer feel important and you will own them for life.
I've been very fortunate to own about sixty or so cars over the last 5 or six years (YES, I have a problem! I love cars like Goldmember loves GOLD!).
Yet, of all the cars I've owned, only two stand out when it comes to dealers really treating me right.
One, was the purchase of my 40th anniversary 911 from the Auto Gallery.
As I was getting ready to leave, the owners shook my hand, thanked me and presented me with a beautiful basket with a bottle of Veuve Clicquot champagne and a box of Godiva chocolates.
And Yes, everyone who buys a car there gets one.
The gesture blew me away!
A really nice touch touch instead of those crappy dealer key chains most dealers hand out.
My second experience was yesterday when I opened my mail from Mercedes-Benz figuring it was a brochure or something when it turned out to be this beautiful leather passport-style wallet with the MB logo embossed in it.
The wallet contained all the necessary owner info that normally comes in a lousy envelope from the manufacturer.
It just struck me as a real first-class subliminal thank you, from the company I just shelled over $60K to.
More auto companies should take note of this 'Nordstrom' style customer interaction.
Trust me, it means a lot.
By the way, thank you to MB for the nice thought!