Apple replaces an iPad2 and goes the extra mile

#842 in the Project was submitted via tweet by Barry Moltz @barrymoltz, author of Crazy, Bounce and BAM!:

Apple replaced my broken #iPad at no charge- Now that’s #BAM good service @9INCHmarketing

Here’s an excerpt from the post:

“My first job out of college was with IBM. I didn’t buy an Apple product until the iPod came out. After this last week, I am not sure I will ever own anything but an Apple customer.

I have owned an iPad 1 and iPad 2. I enjoy traveling with them. Last week, a cousin visiting dropped the iPad 2 outside (on concrete) and the screen smashed. Gulp! This iPad was about 3 months old. My son took it to the Apple store to find out our options for replacing the screen. To my surprise, they gave him a brand new iPad 2!

Now I have blogged about great customer service before, but this went above and beyond what I thought was possible.

With this trade, Apple accomplished:

1. Me, telling this customer service story no matter where I go in person and on social media/

2. Ensuring I will be their customer forever! In fact, I now still own the only non Apple product in my house (a Dell desktop).

This is truly marketing lagniappe”

Marketing Lagniappe Takeaway: Do the unexpected by giving more than expected and reasonable. Watch the word spread and the loyalty of customers grow.

Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – Barry asks, “What’s the Ultimate Customer Service Question”.  Think of the Tao of Dirty Harry for the answer.

Lagniappe defined: A marketing lagniappe, i.e. purple goldfish, is differentiation through signature added value.  It’s anytime a business goes above and beyond to provide a ‘little something extra’. It’s that unexpected surprise that’s thrown in for good measure.

How do you stand out in the sea of sameness? How do you win repeat customers and influence word of mouth?

Are you Giving Little Unexpected Extras? What’s Your GLUE?

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