I’ve been thinking about this Sam Altman quote a lot recently. I get a lot of energizing momentum when I see a new sale notification come through - seeing those little red notification numbers go up is as addicting as any social media.
But this week the story was different. Initial sales were a lot stronger than expected, so we ended up selling out of inventory a couple weeks early! Our new shipment doesn’t arrive for another week, so I’ve had to say goodbye to the red sales notifications that shoot me with adrenaline like Mia Wallace in Pulp Fiction.
Me receiving a Shopify sales notification
So there’s been less movement, less momentum. And that’s forced me to ask the question: What other areas can I create momentum in? And what do I really want Z Caddy to be about?
And the answer to all those questions leads to the same place. Z Caddy isn’t just about selling a product - it’s about creating a brand.
I want to create a brand that my customers resonate with, that they trust, that helps them get more enjoyment out of the product itself. And while I’m still figuring out exactly what that brand will be, I do know one element of the brand that is here to stay: TOP TIER customer service.
And providing that type of customer service has been an excellent way to create momentum for myself despite having no inventory to make sales.
Here are some examples:
In both instances, the customer liked the Z Caddy as a product, sure. But what really set their experience apart was the customer service. It’s easy to ask: “Do I really need to be this over the top sending free products and giving full refunds?” And I’d be lying if I said I didn’t consider how it would affect my bottom-line.
But at the end of the day, I believe providing a surprising, delighting customer experience is far more important than the monetary value of a refund or extra unit of inventory.
Because a brand isn’t just about putting a product into a customer’s hands. It’s about the excitement that they get when they use the product. The experience that they have buying the product. And the feelings they get when they think about the company they’re buying from and supporting. And that’s what I’m trying to build. A real brand that my customers love and that I’m proud of.
- Rob at Z Caddy