Customer care goes hand in hand with customer service. After all, you can’t support customers unless you care about them – even just a little.
But, customer care is more than answering questions and dealing out discounts. Sure, coupons are great, but they mean much less when delivered through a cold, emotionless message.
Customer care is what you do to build connections with people and retain those relationships over time.
In this post, I’ll explain everything you need to know about customer care, including what it is and why it matters to small businesses. I’ll also provide examples of real companies that have provided excellent care in the last few years.
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DownloadWhat is Customer Care?
Customer care is the practice of building an emotional connection with your customers. It goes beyond products or services and deals with customer perceptions of your brand.
Customer care is part of creating an excellent brand experience. It starts when someone discovers your company and continues even if they stop doing business with you. And, some customers who’ve sworn off your company are the ones you should care about the most.
Why does customer care matter?
Customer care helps you develop deep connections with customers. This brand loyalty keeps people coming back to your company — even if it might not be the cheapest or most convenient option.
We all have those brands that we’re loyal to. In my case, I would happily drive an extra 30 minutes to my favorite pizza place instead of ordering from the Domino’s in town. Or, I’ll splurge on Titleist golf balls when I know Kirkland sells a cheaper alternative – it’s not going to fix my slice, but I’ll take comfort knowing I’m using one “the #1 ball in golf.”
The point is that good customer care leads to great customer experiences. Great customer experience fosters long-term loyalty, which leads to repeat sales and more referrals for your business.
To better understand customer care, let’s look at how it differs from customer support, success, and experience.
Customer Care vs. Customer Support
Customer support is how your business responds to problems with products or services. While customer care can help you provide excellent support, it’s not completely necessary to help customers.
Customer support involves answering questions and providing solutions, but it doesn’t always mean developing an emotional connection with the customer. Sometimes, people just look for answers and expect you to be courteous. You can provide the best “care” by being an effective support rep.
Customer Care vs. Customer Success
Customer success focuses on your long-term relationship with customers. Its purpose is to provide people with everything they need to be successful with your product or service. That might include tutorials, training, and other instructional resources that customers use to get the best experience from your business.
On the other hand, customer care is less about resources and more focused on connections. You’re not just hosting a training; it’s what you do to make these instructions memorable and part of a good experience. Like an inspirational coach or personable tour guide, customer care makes your experiences unique and differentiates your business from competitors.
Customer Care vs. Customer Experience
Customer experience is a person’s overall judgment of your brand. It’s how they rate your products, services, and interactions with your business – which includes customer care.
Good customer care typically leads to positive customer experiences. If you develop strong connections, people feel more comfortable working with you because they know you have their best interests at heart. That will reduce friction and improve communication, producing better experiences with your brand.
Want to see customer care in action? Let’s look at five companies that know how to build strong connections with their audience.
Customer Care Examples
These customer care examples are from real companies. Notice how each approach differs depending on the brand’s style and tone.
1. Sainsbury – Giraffe Bread
Here’s a story that will make you laugh and show you how impactful customer care can be.
In 2011, Sainsbury, a British supermarket brand, received a letter from a three-year-old asking why the tiger bread was named “tiger bread.” She felt it should be called “giraffe bread” because it looked more like a giraffe than a tiger.
Rather than dismissing this feedback, Sainsbury’s customer service team thoughtfully responded. They said they supported the idea and even sent her a gift card.
But the fun doesn’t stop there. The letter spread quickly on social media, and within a year, Sainsbury changed the name of its tiger bread to “Giraffe Bread” because of overwhelming customer demand. The company received national news coverage and went viral on social media simply because it followed a child’s request.
2. Ben & Jerry’s – Free Cone Day
Ben & Jerry’s has hosted “Free Cone Day” for over 45 years. It’s one day each year when you can come to any Ben & Jerry’s location and get a scoop of ice cream for free.
Free ice cream is a can’t-miss, but the company’s enthusiasm makes this event a hit. This year, CEO Dave Stever encouraged people to get in line as many times as they wanted, all so the company could dish out over one million scoops.
Events like these show customers you care. Rather than promoting products and services, you’re connecting with them through education and entertainment. It’s less sales-y, and it associates positive memories with your brand.
3. LEGO – FRKE
No, FRKE isn’t a typo – it’s LEGO’s customer service mantra. It stands for fun, reliable, knowledgeable, and engaging. When a customer reaches out to LEGO, the company encourages its team to create a memorable experience.
Here’s one example. When one customer discovered his LEGO set was missing pieces, he emailed the company for help. Rather than sending a cookie-cutter message, LEGO had fun with its customer communication and gave the following response:
Not only did it send pieces right away, but the rep also used a Star Wars-themed response. It was clever and witty and made an inconvenient situation more fun.
That’s just one example of LEGO’s team offering excellent customer care. Another story highlights LEGO’s response to a child who lost his ninja figurine. The company contacted the figurine’s “sensei” for help, who kindly replaced the toy and asked the boy to be more careful in the future.
Every business has to provide customer support, but LEGO sees it as an opportunity to connect with customers. Its team solves their problems and creates positive memories from poor customer experiences.
4. Harley-Davidson – Charity Rides
Harley-Davidson is known for its customer culture. Over the years, it has built a community of loyal fans who want to ride with other Harley-Davidson owners.
The company sponsors dozens of charity rides annually, supporting causes for veterans, poverty, and children. Harley-Davidson owners meet and ride in a parade to a final location. The event raises awareness for the cause and is an incredibly popular way to raise money for local charities.
Your local Harley-Davidson dealer probably has a list of events on its website. If you Google “Harley-Davidson [Your State Here] Events,” you should see a search element like this one that links to the nearest Harley-Davidson dealer.
These rides are more than just a publicity stunt for Harley-Davidson — they’re how the company creates a community of loyal followers. Riders get to bond with other riders about motorcycles, as well as the cause that they’re riding for. This connection develops a stronger bond between customers, making them want to attend more events in the future.
It’s also hard not to want a Harley after seeing a crowd of them riding down your street. It’s an in-your-face marketing play that appeals to audiences that like loud, high-powered motorcycles.
5. Gaithersburg Hyundai – Lifetime Buyer Protection Plan
Customer care doesn’t have to be a big show. You should build it right into your everyday customer service process — similar to how this Hyundai dealership does with its lifetime protection program.
If you enroll in this policy, you get vouchers for service parts, free engine diagnostics, and access to the car loaner program. You also get free preventative maintenance inspections and competitive tire prices.
These might seem like small perks, but they’re the dealer’s way of showing it cares about its vehicles. The company wants customers to feel secure in their purchases, and the advertisement highlights how the company responded to feedback by offering this plan.
The added bonus? These perks all apply to the company’s repair shop, so customers have an incentive to return to the dealership rather than take their vehicle to another mechanic.
Providing Customer Care at Your Small Business
Customer care is a focal point of customer service. It’s not the answers you provide or the discounts you offer but the connections you make with customers. These connections lead to trustworthy relationships as well as repeat sales.
Whether you’re a big-box brand or a solo entrepreneur, customer care is key to providing an excellent customer experience that keeps people coming back for more.
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