Why a Great Customer Experience is Your Best Marketing Tool

By Judd Plattenburg, CEO, Oregon Printing Communications

You know, I was chatting with someone the other day, and they mentioned they didn’t have a marketing budget. “We’re so busy making sure our customers are satisfied, we don’t really have time to think about marketing,”. And that really resonated with me. In my 40-plus years at Oregon, I’ve learned that taking great care of our customers isn’t just good service; it’s now our most effective marketing strategy.

The Power of Customer Service as a Marketing Tool

At Oregon, customer service isn’t just a box we check. It’s the heart of our operation. When our customers ask, “Can you do this? Can you do that?” we listen and adapt. That’s how we’ve grown – not through a sales force or flashy ads, but by meeting our customers’ growing needs. And wow, do they appreciate it! We often hear, “You’re great, you got me out of trouble.” I’m humbled every time I hear something like that.

Real-Life Examples of Customer Satisfaction

I’ll tell you about a couple of recent wins. A few weeks back, a local church was in a bind with their gala event program. They handed us the design mid-week, needing it by Friday. They felt bad, but that’s how it works so many times, it’s life. We hustled, made a last-minute fix, and delivered mid-day Friday. It actually looked great, and they were ecstatic!

Then, there was this advertising agency who works at a pretty high level, they wanted double-thick cards that contained imagery of their customer brands – which turned out to be a real challenge in the color control they expected. Despite multiple tweaks and edits, we nailed it. When I asked the client how he felt things went, he couldn’t say enough good things about the hoops we jumped through to get it done. That’s what we strive for – making the impossible possible.

Making the Most of Testimonials and Word-of-Mouth

It’s these kinds of stories, these testimonials, that really spread the word about what we do. Every satisfied customer becomes a storyteller of our commitment, spreading the word further than any ad could.

At a time when everyone seems to be talking about bad customer experiences, why not strive to be the exception? At Oregon, we focus on the details, meet those tight deadlines, and really get to know our clients and their needs. And guess what? They stick around and bring their customers along, too. It’s common sense really, and it’s also our best marketing tool.

I’d love to hear how positive customer experiences have impacted your marketing strategy. Are you seeing similar results? Give me a call at 937.222.9418 or stop by sometime to chat!