Why Don't More Retailers Understand Loyalty Is a Two-Way Street?
It's been often stated in one way or another on this site that loyalty is not a card. Demonstrating loyalty — to go all Merriam-Webster here — is "having or showing complete and constant support for someone or something." I shop at many stores and websites, but have feelings of loyalty for very few. Those that have my loyalty have earned it.
Among the bigger guys, Trader Joe's and L.L. Bean stand out. High quality products, good value for the money, friendly people and return policies that make me feel as though this buyer never has to beware when doing business with either.
Locally, in this little patch of New Jersey, there are a number of independents that have earned my loyalty. They've done so by demonstrating that loyalty is a street that runs both ways.
A case in point is the Vanilla Bean Creamery in Cranford. It goes without saying that the product is very good. This shop makes its own ice cream on premises and creates unique flavors. A couple of years back, Vanilla Bean's Bananas Foster was voted best ice cream in the state. One reviewer on Yelp wrote that she has relatives who come from New York City to buy the Bananas Foster. The other reviews on the site couldn't have been more glowing had the shop's owner paid for them.
While the ice cream is excellent, that's not the reason Vanilla Bean receives an almost weekly visit from members of the Anderson clan during the summer months. Instead, I'll give you two examples.
Several years ago I stopped by the shop with kids in tow during the course of running errands around town. Taking our ice cream in cones to go, we left the store and, not more than a minute out, someone's ice cream hit the pavement. After assuring one distraught child that she would get replacement ice cream, I went about finishing the errands. About an hour and a half had passed and back to Vanilla Bean we went. The teenager behind the counter saw us come into the store and said something to the effect of, "You must really like our ice cream." I said yes we did, but then explained the reason for the return visit. Guess who didn't have to pay for a replacement cone?
More recently, I got to see the Vanilla Bean's loyalty in action again. Like others, the business offers a punch card. Buy 10 ice creams and get one free. It also participates in a local shopping card program with a 10 percent discount off of all purchases to support the high school's football teams.
Going to the shop with child in tow, we proceeded to purchase two ice creams. One was a kiddie cup and another that may have exceeded a single day's recommended calories for an adult after all the toppings requested. Going into my wallet, I saw I was due for a free ice cream and assumed they'd take it out of the kiddie cup — wrong! The monster ice cream was free. The kiddie cup had 10 percent taken off and a new card got punched. I asked the woman behind the counter if she had made a mistake. I didn't want her getting in trouble for giving me the more expensive item for free. "No," she assured me. This was the way they did it. The owner always wants the customers to know how much their business is valued. They do.