There’s a lot of talk about branding. How to brand your business so you can attract the right customers (and a lot of them) is an important topic. But many people get it all wrong.

Too many people think branding is all about telling. They create ads and brochures and websites and a million other ways to tell people all about their brand. And this sort of telling typically talks about how wonderful the company is, how many awards they’ve won or great their product or service is.

(Editors Note: Dennis has published an update to this based on more recent news. Read it here.)

The Toyota recall has been dominating the business news lately. Every day it seems a new piece of information regarding the “sticky gas-pedal” issue comes out – some of it indicating that Toyota is handling the situation quickly and effectively, and other information indicating that Toyota has known about the problem for a long time and took action only after being forced to. I’m sure that new information will continue to come out, and it remains to be seen how all of this will affect Toyota’s reputation and future.

A key customer service principle is to “deliver on the promise of the brand.” Every organization owns a particular brand image in the minds of customers, and anything out of alignment with the brand creates a disconnect and a disappointment for the customer.

Imagine, for example checking into a Ritz Carlton hotel only be treated rudely or with an attitude of indifference. The contrast between the brand image and the actual experience would be jarring and memorable. But when the experience and an organization’s brand image are in alignment, the result is confidence, trust, and loyalty.

A lot of people think Toyota has a quality problem these days. But I would say their biggest problem is a customer service one.

Let’s look at the basics. Customer service is all about giving customers the right experience. Do this and they’ll remain loyal. Fail at this and they’ll leave you faster than you can say “cancel my order”.

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Do what your marketing says you will

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

A few weeks ago I traded in my old iPod for the new Touch 3G.  To keep it clean and like new, I bought a case for it from a company called Riot Outfitters. When I had a question about the case I decided to contact them using Twitter. After I found them on Twitter, I was pleasantly surprised by their Twitter profile which says:

“Made to protect and serve electronic devices. Each RIOT product is loaded with goodness and style. Backed by super responsive customer service”. (emphasis added).

Very cool. Here’s a company

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

You are the company

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

No matter what your role is, when you help a customer, in their eyes you are the company. What you do and how you do it becomes your company’s image, to the customers you serve.

The last time I got an email from my library it was about an overdue book. The email arrived a couple days AFTER the book was overdue. It also explained how I owed a fine for not returning the book by its due date.

Every month, about 3 days BEFORE my payment is due, my credit card company sends me a reminder of my due date.

One of the biggest mistakes business people make is thinking they know what their customers want, but not really knowing. This is easy to do. And it happens more often than we like to admit.

A few years ago, Krispy Kreme stormed the the Minneapolis-St. Paul area like a blizzard in February. Their little donut factories popped up here and there. Not on every street corner but enough that should the urge grab you, you could get to one without disrupting your entire day.

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Do the right thing right away

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

Recently I read an article about a traveler who had  a bad customer experience at the hands of Alamo Car Rental.  The customer was significantly overcharged and the company refused to fix the problem after several requests by the customer.

Correction. They refused to fix it until

“If you make customers unhappy in the real world, they might each tell six friends. If you make customers unhappy on the Internet, they can each tell 6,000 friends.”

-Jeff Bezos, Founder of Amazon.com

The days of ducking down and hoping nobody will notice when things go awry are over. These days, if customers get a bad experience, they are likely to share their story with the whole world. Internet review websites are here to stay. So, rather than ignore them or hope they’ll go away, it’s better to deal with them in a positive and proactive way.

Here are three ways you can improve online customer reviews:

1. Get in front of it

Bad online reviews from customers come from bad customer experiences. This happens when

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

You are your company’s brand

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

People do business with companies for a variety of reasons. One reason is the company’s brand or reputation. This is more than a logo or slogan. It’s what people think of a company and how they feel about it. Your brand will either attract customers or repel them.

Here is your Daily Dose of Amazing Service:

Find ways to do something extra for your customers

And here are some additional thoughts on this topic…

One of the easiest and fastest ways to make a customer smile is to do something extra. Because it’s unexpected, it’s a pleasant surprise. It’s something they’ll remember and talk about.

There’s another reason to do something extra for your customers: