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If you own an Eskimo Joe's shirt, you own an automatic bondwith anyone else you might see in the world who also owns an EskimoJoe's shirt. With more than 10 million shirts sold, that'sa lot of bonding. That sense of connectivity is a phenomenon thatowner Stan Clark doesn't completely understand. But hedoes understand that the loyalty of his customers hasallowed him to turn the "little beer bar" he and a buddybought 22 years ago for $10,000 in the college town of Stillwater,Oklahoma, into a multimillion-dollar hospitality and merchandisingmachine that includes three restaurants and an internationallydistributed apparel and accessories line.
Eskimo Joe's is a home-grown success story. For the firsteight years, Clark's focus was on the bar and catering toOklahoma State University students. T-shirt sales were anincidental component of his business.
But Clark beefed up T-shirt sales and added food service to thebusiness in 1983. Today, you can't buy T-shirts in the bar; yougo next door to a store called Joe's Clothes WorldHeadquarters, visit the Eskimo Joe's retail stores in OklahomaCity and Tulsa, Oklahoma, or order from catalogs that aredistributed at the rate of more than one million per year. Thecasual clothing and a variety of other logo-emblazoned items nowaccount for 70 percent of the $14 million in annual sales posted byStan Clark Companies Inc. Not only do Eskimo Joe's customerskeep coming back, but they happily pay to advertise for the companyby enthusiastically wearing and displaying the logo. Clark may nothave foreseen this when he went into the business, but heappreciates the phenomenon and is totally committed to operating ina way that will continue to inspire such dedication.
Clark offers these tips for building customer loyalty:
- Choose a business you love. "If you'repassionate about something, your enthusiasm will be infectious andyou will excite the people around you," Clark explains.
- Exceed your customers' expectations. "Whateverbusiness you're in, doing more than what your customersreasonably expect can set you apart in the marketplace," Clarksays.
- Offer quality and value, and stand behind what you sell."Provide an excellent product and guarantee itunconditionally," Clark says. "Give the customer a gooddeal--and make sure it's a good deal from the customer'sperspective, not just yours."
- Use your logo effectively. Clark admits he didn'tcompletely appreciate the value of the distinctive Eskimo Joe'slogo at first. "I mismanaged that asset for a number ofyears," he says. It took Clark several years to recognize themerchandise was a significant profit center for his company. Thesedays, he stays on top of T-shirt sales and always makes sure thatmerchandise stays in stock.
It also helps, Clark says, if your logo is appealing. The EskimoJoe's logo--a grinning Eskimo with a canine sidekick namedBuffy--was designed by an 18-year-old commercial art student."It's a fun logo. It conjures up a good feeling,"Clark says. Today, this unique rendition of the traditional"boy and his dog" appears on a wide variety of items,including casual clothing, ties, golf balls and a computerscreensaver. "If it's a product we knew people were buyinganyway, we thought they might buy it from us if it had our logo onit," Clark says.
- Protect your logo by registering it as a trademark.Clark will not overlook any unauthorized use of the EskimoJoe's logo. "It's the most valuable asset we own, andwe've got to protect it," he says. He tailors his actionto the situation: A nonprofit organization might be gently remindedthat the logo is protected as a registered trademark, and thatpermission is required for its use. A commercial enterprise tryingto make money off the image will receive a more strongly wordedcease-and-desist message from Clark's attorney.
- Listen to your customers. Customers will tell you whatthey want and support you when you provide it. "We conductcustomer focus groups, we put out comment cards and we solicitinput," Clark says. Customers let him know what products toadd to the retail stores and catalog, and what items to change onthe menu in the bar and restaurants.
- Treat your employees with the same respect and concern yougive your customers. "Our people create the magic in theservice process," Clark says. "If you're ever goingto have loyal customers, you've got to have quality people. Wecan only expect our team members to treat our customers as well aswe treat them. If our people are attentive--if they make peoplefeel welcome and special--the customer will want to recreate thatfeeling by coming back. If, on the other hand, the customerperceives an attitude of indifference, at the very best,they'll be disappointed, and they may never come back. All thehype means nothing at that moment of truth."
- Give back to the community. In September, EskimoJoe's sponsored its 10th annual Juke Joint Jog, a fund-raiserfor the Stillwater Area United Way. Whenever possible, Clark honorsrequests to contribute to civic events by providing door prizes andfinancial support. "Our customer focus groups have indicatedthat people remember the community service things long afterthey've forgotten what our last promotion was," Clarksays.
- Correct mistakes quickly and gracefully. How you handlea mistake often says more about your company than what happens whenthings are going right. It's an opportunity, Clark says, toturn a negative into a positive. Customers who are dissatisfiedwith a meal at one of his restaurants don't pay for it. Returnson merchandise are accepted at any point--sometimes even yearsafter the item was purchased.
- Have fun with your customers. Clark insists the primaryreason for his success is that he knows how to have a good time. Ofthe early days, he says, "We didn't just serve ourcustomers, we partied with them. And that had a lot to do with whythey wanted the T-shirts." They also wanted the T-shirtsbecause they had become loyal Eskimo Joe's customers--and theyremain loyal customers today.
Tips From Business Start-Ups
1. Find out what your customers want and provide it. Don'tguess; ask them through surveys, focus groups and at every otheropportunity.
2. Dazzle them with service they'll tell their friendsabout. Be so remarkable they can't help talking about you.
3. Create a sense of belonging. Form "customer clubs"that offer special benefits and status.
4. Be responsive. Don't make your customers wait forservice--not on the phone, not in line at your store. Take care oftheir needs immediately.
5. Make customers feel welcome. Greet people enthusiasticallywhen they walk through the door.
6. Never attempt to deceive your customers in any way;they'll find out, and they'll never come back.
7. Keep your facility clean. How well you care for your store oroffice is a sign of how much you care about your customers.
8. Reward your customers. Offer frequent-buyer programs, volumediscounts or other incentives that show how much you appreciateeach order.
9. If it's wrong, make it right. When you make a mistake,apologize and correct it right away--whether it's your fault ornot.
10. Communicate with your customers. Newsletters,advertisements, in-store signs and direct mail are just a few waysyou can let your customers know they're valued.
Every time she wears her Eskimo Joe's T-shirt, JacquelynLynn encounters at least one person she's never met whorecognizes the logo.
Contact Source
Eskimo Joe's, (800) 256-JOES, (405) 377-0799,http://www.eskimojoes.com
