No birthday card from Amazon, but a "Tree of Life" from an Indian hotel?
Today happens to be "blog writing" day … and my birthday. After spending six decades on this planet, you do not get overly excited about celebrating your birthday. I celebrated the fact that I was able to get out of bed, even if I had to get up and write. I opened email and found expected email birthday wishes, Facebook posts, and a cute video from the grandkids. And … there it suddenly appeared … a birthday messaged from the Leela Hotel in India. How is it that an Indian hotel, where I stayed one time, can send me personalized birthday greetings and US retailers don't seem to know that I frequently shopped in their stores?
There is nothing more personal than your name and birthday
When you are a kid you can't wait for the special day. When you are a parent, you don't have time to celebrate your own birthdays, it's all about the kids. When you grow old(er), you proclaim that you don't celebrate birthdays any longer, as if you can hold off the inevitable "maturation" process. Me thinks that we perhaps protest too much about our birthdays.
There is nothing more personal than your own name and birthday. There is something special about "your day". If you don't use your birthday as a cause for celebration, then it at least becomes a milestone for reflection. And I have to tell you, I experienced more than a few smiles and warm thoughts as I opened electronic birthday greetings from family and friends. There were even a couple of "B2ME" well wishes that caused me to reflect on how lucky I have been in my career. But nothing quite prepared me for the Birthday greeting from the Leela hotel in New Delhi, India!
How did the Leela Hotel manage a high class personal card?
On our birthdays, we expect the perfunctory birthday cards from certain businesses. Seems like I get a birthday card from every financial institution I've ever met! They all come as horrible stock cards, some without even a personal signature. The point is that almost all these kinds of anonymous style businesses birthday cards and messages are worse than if they did not send one! The only financial planner I do business with is the absolute best at personal relationships – he doesn't send a birthday card or email. He makes the time to call me personally.
You expect birthday cards from insurance and financial institutions that collect your birthday as a requirement for their applications. You do NOT expect a birthday card from a hotel … and certainly not a hotel in India!
Ok, I realize that it is a "stock" birthday email from the Leela Hotel group, not the specific hotel I stayed at in India. But, I was impressed by the message and photo, and the fact that it is signed by the president of the chain. What is most impressive is the fact that they got it personalized and to my email on my exact birthday! I have only stayed at Leela hotel once in New Delhi. I probably gave them my email as part of electronic registration … but I am clueless as to how they found my birthday. Hats off to Leela Hotels for an unexpected follow up with personalization and a great symbolic message on my birthday!
No birthday cards from Amazon, Best Buy or Walmart … Why?
I have literally spent thousands of dollars at a number of retailers, especially Amazon and Best Buy. I get emails from them, but almost always for offers and promotions. I do get personal emails from Amazon, when they are desperate for me to write a product review they need for differentiating their value, or rating a new seller. I never get a personalize message from any electronics retailer, let alone a birthday card, why?
The most fundamental RETAIL FAIL is CRM with passion for personalization!
The thing that the Leela Hotel chain has that the retailers don't is a CRM – Customer Relationship Management system. But beyond the software and technology to track consumers, the Leela hotel has something else which is far more important – a passion for building and maintaining personal relationships with their customers, even if they have only stayed one time!
Lesson from Leela and Build-a-Bear – CRM equals major opportunity
In this new consumer centric world, it's not about products and price. Consumers value convenience and personalized service. The birthday greeting is just one powerful example of what a personalize follow-up can mean to a consumer. You can bet on my return trip to India this year that I will have Leela hotels top of mind.
Another great example of using CRM to develop and maintain personal relationships with consumers is Build-a-Bear. They do a fantastic job of creating an amazing experience for kids who literally build their own toy bear, and personalize it with clothing of their choice. Just don't be the sponsor who pays the collective bill of $$$ for all those kids personalizing their bears. Ca-ching, ca-ching!
Here's the even more amazing thing about Build-a-Bear – they build CRM right into their process! Every kid has an opportunity to go with a parent to name their bear and give it a birthdate … with an email address (parent). You can guess what happens! The ca-ching continues on and on long after the store experience. Here's a retailer "selling" a bear experience who can mail a birthday card to a bear owner. I bought thousands of dollars of technology devices last year and none of those retailers seem to know my name … or have even have the ability to send my computer a birthday card for its birth date.
For traditional retailers CRM is a major FAIL … and a major opportunity!
Imagine what a Best Buy, Tiger Direct or even Apple could do if they had a CRM system like Build-a-Bear! For each computer sold, they could do follow-up. If you didn't buy a copy of Office or a warranty, they could send an offer X days later. On the annual birthday of the device, they could off an "age appropriate" service or upgrade. And, what if they actually knew the name of the computer owner and their birthday? Imagine what would happen if they sent a "Happy Technology Birthday" card with an offer to come for a "gift" or "discount".
As for what this Ole Retail Guy will be doing on his birthday, I will not be worrying about retail failure … I will be enjoying a fine bottle of wine with an old birthdate, checking out where to find my next Leela Hotel!
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Sources:
- Leela Hotel: Screenshot Courtesy of Chris Petersen
- Build-a-Bear Photos: www.buildabear.com
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