During New Jersey’s Stay at Home Order, I’ve been getting our groceries through Instacart.  The Instacart shoppers generally have done a good job and provided a service that has helped my family stay well during the COVID-19 pandemic.  But just as things have begun to improve and I’ve started thinking about doing my own shopping again, one shopper showed up and strengthened my customer loyalty to Instacart.

It began like all other orders with an unknown shopper – Chloe – at my local store, texting about swaps and otherwise getting the job done. When it came time to deliver,  Chloe made three trips up my sidewalk in the pouring rain, ferrying the order to my door. She was young – probably a recent high school grad or Rutgers student – but took a moment in the rain to chat briefly when I came to the door to thank her.

But here’s the most important part – unpacking the groceries, I found a Thank You note.   Chloe had included a handwritten note, thanking me for being an Instacart customer and wishing health for my family. It really touched me.

I know that she must include one for every one of her customers, but it really doesn’t matter. In that moment, she went from being a shopper from a service to being Chloe from Instacart. It made me wish I could request her every week. It also made me second guess my readiness to get back to the store myself. Chloe’s gesture of customer appreciation gave me a reason for customer loyalty. It reminded me that I appreciate the work the shoppers are doing and want to support them through orders and tips, too.

I think Chloe is destined for greatness as an employee. She’s got what it takes to make connections to people through even the smallest encounters. She understands that when  you let people know you appreciate them, they appreciate  you back. That’s what makes business relationships run and increases sales. In a very direct way, Chloe contributes to Instacart’s bottom line – not just by doing the job, but by standing out and building the relationship as a person. She creates customer loyalty.

So to Chloe, wherever she is, Thank You. Thank you for helping me keep my family safe and for running through the rain to deliver on Instacart’s brand promise. You did a great job. I’ll be buying from Instacart again and I wish you success.

At Next Level, we work with many of our clients on building business relationships and driving results through customer loyalty. We’d be happy to share how you can empower your team to connect with your customers with a simple Thank You using Great Rewards.