This purple goldfish comes from Drew Opperman. I met Drew while speaking at MENG Chapter event in Morristown, NJ. [Great recap of the talk by Monique de Maio] After the event, Drew shared a Purple Goldfish story from his past involving Guess Eyewear during his time at the Viva Group. It’s a fascinating tale of differentiation through service and added value. It resulted in Guess vaulting itself into the Top 10 brands in Brazil within two years by doing a little extra for customers.
Here’s the story:
Guess Eyewear spent a considerable time talking to retailer and studying the market in Brazil before entering. Their research uncovered a practice that annoyed potential customers. Because of tax implications, every eyeglass manufacturer would wait between seven to ten days before replacing product that needed to be returned. By doing so, the manufacturers avoided paying a $20 tax. Guess saw an opening and decided to pay the tax in favor of servicing their clients promptly. It wasn’t an easy decision financially, but the brand did it anyway. The gesture resonated with customers and word spread. Within two years, Guess Eyewear went from 0 accounts to 1,500. In Drew’s words,
“One of the main driving forces behind becoming a top 10 company in the industry and acquiring 1,500 retail customers within 2 years was this change in policy. Namely, we replaced ‘problem’ product within 24-48 hours paying an extra tax while the competition replaced in 7-10 days to avoid paying this tax.”
Drew told me that it wasn’t uncommon for retailers to call Viva directly asking to be carry the product. In some cases they’d ask if the retailer had already seen the line of eyewear. Many times they would say NO, but they still wanted to carry it. The little extra of convenience with returns had a strong pull.
Goldfish Takeaway – Convenience is key. How are delivering quicker and easier for your customers? Are you running your business in a way that best serves the needs of your customer first. TD Bank is open 7 days a week and Zappos runs its distribution center 24/7/365.
Are you pushing the limits of convenience in our on demand world? Just how convenient and quick can you be for your customers? For inspiration, look no further than JD.com. Jingdong is the equivalent of Amazon in China. Earlier this year they announced a 3-hour delivery option for online orders in 6 major Chinese cities.
Today’s Lagniappe (a little something extra thrown in for good measure) – Note: Viewer discretion and earmuffs advised.
What’s different about me? . . . Guess
