I find myself mentally willing Richard Branson and the Virgin brand to continue with their incredibly nice take-over of the world, so when my expectations just keep being exceeded by him and his band of merry customer service representatives, it makes me extra happy.
Renewing my faith in direct mail...
I recently received a piece of direct mail from Virgin Money, one of many pieces of DM I receive from the Virgin camp, which almost always contain a little treat, just for me (especially now I opted for online billing, there is never a sense of disappointment when I open a Virgin branded piece of mail as it never a bill!). I digress. This particular piece was inviting me to the newly opened Virgin Money Lounge in Manchester which as a customer I have free access to. Without having poured over the details, I assumed the lounge was attached to the bank branch (knowing they have taken over the Northern Rock building in town).
...especially when it delivers the goods...
I arrived at one of the beautiful old buildings on King Street, husband and toddler in tow, to be greeted by lovely Nick at the door. As I’m scanning the room looking for the tellers’ desks and waiting for the salesman to appear to try and sign me up to all and sundry, Nick is explaining to me that this is just a relaxing lounge, exclusively for Virgin Money customers, nothing to do with the actual bank services. Comfy chairs, Sky Sports, refreshments (pastries in the morning, cakes in the afternoon), Playstations for the kids, newspapers, a piano, meeting space, private telephone room, use of iPads and iMacs etc etc – and did I mention – all FREE! When I asked (yes, I actually had to ask!), where can I find out about Virgin Money products, I was told that the branch on Albert Square was the place, this lovely lounge wasn’t about selling, it was just about giving something back to Virgin Money customers, a thank you for their continued support. Well....it’s not often I am lost for words but I am so used to being constantly bombarded by companies, whether I am a customer or not, pedaling their wares, and usually pretty aggressively, invading my space with phone calls, mail or email; Virgin have turned the tables, they didn’t invade but instead invited me to expand my personal space with a city centre haven for me and my family. It was a moment of realisation when I accepted that this wonderful customer experience really didn’t have a price.
Live up to your hype
Virgin Money’s mission – ‘We are aiming to make everyone better off’.
Making the banking experience pleasurable AND good value? – it’s a tall order, some would say a paradox, but one that they are well on the way to pulling off.
Effective CRM is the holy grail and when a company manages to seamlessly integrate the principles of brand loyalty and customer retention into their very being, as marketers, we should sit up and take notice.
I shouldn’t be so amazed by this level of customer service but I think it speaks volumes that I was. I have come to expect and even worse, accept a lesser experience but I have now been reminded that customer service is not dead, it is alive and well, and its name is Virgin.
