Or you can build brand–and delight them.

There’s one universal truth we can all agree on: customer service is THE WORST. At Big, we usually don’t like to make blanket statements like that. But if you’ve ever been on hold for three hours having to hear awful MUZAK interrupted every 4.5 minutes with a chipper voice saying they’ll “be back on the line as soon as possible,” then we think you know what we mean.

Here’s the thing, though: sometimes the universe surprises us.

That’s what happened to a LEGO customer recently, as told by Inc. John was stoked to find and buy a LEGO Star Wars set. And this is not any set, mind you, it’s the Mos Eisley Cantina, which will set you back $350 and has over 3,000 bricks to painstakingly assemble. The problem was—one bag of pieces was nowhere to be found. John wrote to LEGO via their website to request the missing parts. And sure enough, he heard back from them.

In situations like this, a company should do four main things. And LEGO did great with all of them.

• Acknowledge they understand what the problem is
• Apologize
• Clearly explain what will be done to fix the situation
• Give information so the customer feels empowered

But they did more. Take a look.

Not only did LEGO right the wrong, but they did it with style. The email response was full of Star Wars references and personality. The customer service rep knew the brand, not only of LEGO, but of their licensed affiliate.

That’s how you take your company to the next level—by infusing brand into ALL areas of your business, even customer service. It doesn’t always have to be as clever as this example. But in every interaction you should ask questions like “does this sound like our brand?” “Does it look like our brand?” Make sure you inject a little bit more of “you” (as in your company) in everything you do.

Here’s another suggestion: always go the extra mile to delight your customer. And this doesn’t just apply when there’s a crisis. It could mean handwriting a card instead of sending a templated email, sending a “thanks for supporting us” gift out of the blue or as LEGO did, really getting into the mind of your customer to create some common ground. The gesture will be unexpected and will create some serious goodwill and brand loyalty.

Of course, to do those things, you really need to know your brand, your audience and their journey. Our Hi-Res Branding, along with our Customer Experience Maps, will equip you with that info. And then you, too, can be a brand nerd.

Give us a call and let’s get started.