A Direct Marketing Agency - Helping Brands Acquire and Retain Customers

When a friend shared her recent experience of ordering shoes from Zappos.com, I thought I'd give them a try, even though I'm a bit leery of ordering shoes without trying a pair on. But with their "free shipping both ways" policy, how could I lose? Rarely do I experience service that "wows" me enough to talk about it, but Zappos is doing a great job of fostering a one-to-one relationship with me so far. Many companies send a generic shipping notice, but take a look below at the message I received after ordering my first pair of shoes from Zappos. This message does many things right:

1. It's personal and friendly and feels like a real person is talking to me versus a faceless corporation.
2. "We wanted to let you know that we've been working around the clock" – I get a real sense of commitment, care and quality with this statement.
3. It reinforces the brand message and positioning – "we think of ourselves as a service company who happens to sell shoes."
4. It encourages people to tell their friends and family about their experience – as the company relies on word-of-mouth versus spending a lot of money on marketing.

However, there are three things they could employ in this email to take it to the next level:

1. I've just had a great service experience and would like to hear more from this company. Why not include an e-mail opt-in like Land's End does below?
2. Since word-of-mouth is the cornerstone of their marketing strategy, a "Forward to a Friend" feature should be built into all customer communiqués. For example, "So if you enjoyed your experience with us, please be sure to tell your family and friends about Zappos.com by clicking here." The link would take them to a pre-formed e-mail introduction that they could forward to a friend.
3. "We are constantly striving to improve our service. If there is anything we can do to help improve your service, please don't hesitate to let us know." I like how they are encouraging feedback, but they could take it a step further by including a link to an online survey or another e-mail window that allows me to send a message directly to Zappos' customer service department.

Transactional e-mails such as a shipping notice or order confirmation are a great way to stay in touch with your customers while the experience is still fresh in their minds. It's also an opportunity to generate other transactions (feedback, referrals and e-mail opt-ins for example). So don't overlook the power that these communiqués play in developing a one-to-one relationship with your customers.