Earlier this week, I blogged about the importance of creating personalized brand experiences for your customers. Today, I heard a story describing how the pet brand, Chewy, does exactly that.
Most of us know that pets are more than just pets, they are family. And, losing a pet can be devastating. When Laura Waltenburg’s sister’s two dogs passed away suddenly, she was crushed. To add insult to injury, her sister had just placed a large order of dog food for the pair from Chewy.
Of course, with both of her beloved pups gone, Laura’s sister had no use for the dog food anymore, so she asked to return the food for a refund. Laura explains on Facebook:
“My sister and brother-in-law tragically lost both of their dogs this past weekend. After this happened, they received two 40-pound bags of dog food that they had ordered from the Chewy company. My brother-in-law sent them an email requesting permission to send the dog food back for a refund, minus the shipping cost.”
The company not only refunded the couple’s money and asked them to donate the food to a local shelter; Chewy also sent a condolence bouquet with a card and asked for photos of the couple’s dogs to add to their online customer memorial.
This is not the first time that Chewy has honored the fallen pets of their customers. When dog owner Joseph Inabnet’s precious Bailey died, Chewy was there for him during the grieving process. After paying him back for some prescription dog food for his dog, the company told him to donate the rest and even sent Inabnet a condolences card and an oil painting of his dog.
In another incident, the company also sent one woman a beautiful canvas picture of her beloved dog after she lost her battle with cancer. The company had been following the dog’s 4-year battle with cancer.
Of course, your brand may not lend itself so easily to this kind of customer engagement. But, finding ways to create genuine personal connections with your customers; something that only your brand can do for and with them, drives the kind of customer loyalty that lasts.
If you need help finding ways to create deep and meaningful customer connections, email me at Connected Comms.