This article is dedicated to Anna Brose & Chewy (an American online retailer of pet food)
Preface
Gus was a good dog — actually, he was the best dog (according to the owner).
In June 2022 a woman called Anna Brose (owner of Gus) returned from a trip to Alaska and found out that her favorite dog Gus was just gone…
In addition to the heartbreak of losing Gus, Anna had also a lot of unopened unused bags of dog food she bought from Chewy — an American online retailer of pet food and other pet-related products.
She decided to see if she could return an unopened bag.
That’s where the magic started happening…
How to Go Viral as a Business?
To understand the whole concept of the “virality” of the business, let’s first have a look at Chewy.
The company, like many other e-commerce companies, offers an extensive range of pet supplies: food, treats, toys, grooming products, medications, and accessories for a wide variety of pets.
Chewy’s Website
Chewy has plenty of cool features that contribute to the virality & growth of the business, no doubt.
Some of Chewy’s key features:
- Autoship Subscription Service: Customers can schedule recurring deliveries of their pet supplies, ensuring that they never run out of essentials. (Bonus: discounts, free shipping, etc.)
- Chewy Pharmacy: In addition to pet supplies, Chewy operates a full-service online pharmacy, providing prescription medications, preventatives, and supplements for pets.
- Philanthropic Initiatives: Chewy demonstrates a dedication to giving back through various philanthropic endeavors. They have a charitable program called Chewy Gives Back, supporting animal welfare organizations.
But what sets them apart is an EXCELLENT 24/7 CUSTOMER SERVICE & data-driven approach to their business.
Chewy is renowned for its commitment to outstanding customer service. They have a 24/7 customer service team of more than 2500 trained customer service reps that are available to assist with:
- any inquiries
- provide product recommendations
- provide assistance with payments, deliveries, “autoships”, etc.
- and even offer condolences in the event of a pet’s passing
And the last one is exactly what happened in the case of Anna’s dog passing.
Here’s Anna’s tweet:
Anna’s tweet went VIRAL on Twitter.
But the reason isn’t as obvious as it appears.
While Chewy undoubtedly provided exceptional customer service the tweet’s virality stems from the fact that PLENTY of other individuals had similar experiences with Chewy as a business.
Result: When they came across Anna’s tweet, they responded and shared their own experiences.
What’s even more interesting is that big newspapers & magazines picked it up and shared Anna’s dog story & Chewy’s exceptional customer service for their multimillion audience.
Takeaways
Now, that you’ve got an idea of what this article is about, let’s sum it up!
Below are some key takeaways from Anna’s story & Chewy’s exceptional 24/7 customer service.
Literally an ULTIMATE GUIDE on how to go viral as a business:
🔸 Step 1
Listen & Understand: Actively listen to your customers and seek to understand their needs. Show empathy and make them feel heard. BE HUMAN!
🔸 Step 2
Responsiveness: Respond promptly to customer inquiries, feedback, or complaints. Strive for timely resolutions and keep customers informed. Avoid leaving them waiting or feeling ignored. The faster you respond, the happier a customer is. BE HUMAN!
🔸 Step 3
Personalization: Treat each customer as an individual. Personalization adds a personal touch and makes customers feel valued. No one wants to see an autogenerated E-Mail, “dear customer” or irrelevant mass-market products. BE HUMAN!
🔸 Step 4
Problem Resolution: When issues arise, focus on finding solutions rather than placing blame. Take ownership of the problem and work towards resolving it promptly. Keep the customer updated on the progress. Ensure customer satisfaction. BE HUMAN!
🔸 Step 5
Proactive Communication: Anticipate customer needs and proactively provide relevant information, updates, or recommendations. Notify customers about product launches, upcoming promotions, or…
Simply reply to a tweet. It’s that simple. BE HUMAN!
Remember, excellent customer service is an ongoing effort that requires:
- Dedication
- Consistency
- Customer-centric approach
In case of Anna’s dog passing, it can be summarized like this:
Delighting one customer is great. But when you delight ALL your customers, they’ll join together to shout your praises.
This is how to go viral as a business.
And it doesn’t matter whether you’re running a blog, founder of a startup, or CEO of a multimillion corporation.
Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it!
Stay tuned, stay safe & healthy!