Written for SPAN Enterprises

Last week, Publix at Wedgewood Square Shopping Center brought us a cake and cupcakes. We didn’t order it. There wasn’t a birthday or celebration at the office that day. The bakery delivered the sweet treats just because we are regular customers and they wanted to show gratitude.

Eyes lit up as chocolate and vanilla cupcakes were passed around during the afternoon crunch. The delectable goodies made Publix’s quality of service and gratuitousness palatable as we devoured buttercream-frosted fluffy cakes.

This was a smart move by Publix. Really smart. We have several company events coming up and not to mention we are on the cusp of the holiday season. It was a great customer service strategy to remind us that they are available and appreciative of our business. Not to mention perking up our taste buds with a sample of their sugary goodness.

Sometimes, that’s all it takes. Give your customer something they want or something they need. It reminds them that you care about their needs, provide quality products and shows thanks. It’s an extra mile in customer service that keeps them coming back.

At SPAN, we often treat our customers. Since we are in the software industry, we aren’t baking desserts, but we develop free companion apps that complement our web-based technologies. We’ve also created general apps that support the industries we work within.

For example, we launched an app called RigMinders. It’s a free personal and professional reminder app for truck drivers that’s already loaded with standard industry reminders such as quarterly tax filings, license and permit renewals, and annual excise tax deadlines.

RigMinders has been lauded by our customers and even truckers who are not our customers as a helpful app. The decision to create and give away this app does the same thing for our customers as Publix did for us: it gives thanks, creates credibility, and shows quality of production.

Our app continues to show trucking professionals that we care about supporting their needs while also gaining credibility for our company in the process. It gives them a glimpse at the quality of our products by exhibiting our usability, industry knowledge, and design experience.

Next time your business wants to remind customers that you are available and appreciative of their needs, give them something they need at no cost. It will benefit your business in the long run.