By Chip R. Bell, Bilijack R. Bell

You Don't Know Jack --Or Do You?

Larry is a devoted fan of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Whiskey, but he wasn't always. Sure, he enjoyed it from time to time, along with other brands. Not anymore. If Larry is in a social situation where they don't have Jack, he settles for a glass of club soda. When he hears a friend call for some other brand, he makes a passionate plea for ordering Jack Daniel's instead. How did our friend Larry go from satisfied consumer to passionately devoted customer? And what can his transformation teach us about magnetic service?

"A few years ago," Larry told us one day, "a friend nominated me for membership in the Tennessee Squire Association, kind of a Jack Daniel's fan club. A few weeks later, I received an impressive certificate plus a deed to part of the Jack Daniel Distillery property in Lynchburg, Tennessee. I assumed it was maybe one square inch of land! "I dismissed it all as a clever marketing ploy," he continued, "until I received a K-1 to include with my income tax return indicating I had a loss of 29 cents due to flood damage on my 'property' in Lynchburg."

Amused, we prodded Larry for more information.

"Well," he continued, "I began to get letters from folks in Lynchburg, like I really was a neighbor. There was one from a fellow who ran the local hardware store wanting to take horseweed worms from my property to use as fish bait. The county executive of Moore County, Tennessee, wrote requesting an easement across my property so locals could take a shortcut past the distillery to reach Spencer Hole, a popular recreation area. My favorite came from a guy trying to raise a herd of Black Angus cows. He kept getting white-faced calves. When he spotted a white-faced bull on my property, he wrote me for ideas on how to fix the situation."

We were now observing the passion of a wide-eyed groupie at a rock concert. Larry's story continued.

"I'm pretty sure I was a part of the taste test for Gentleman Jack(R), a new brand for Jack Daniel they brought out a few years ago. Before it was on the shelves everywhere, the liquor store owner gave me a taste and wrote down my comments. Jack Daniel Distillery once contacted me and asked me to write my congressman to influence a particular piece of legislation they were trying to get passed. The folks in the local liquor store started asking for my feedback, like they were reps for Jack Daniel. I've gotten calendars, coasters, and catalogs for ordering JD paraphernalia. You want me to keep going?" We'd heard enough.

What Makes Service Magnetic?

What is it that Jack Daniel Distillery is doing to stir such ardor among customers like Larry? We see several ingredients in our friend's story that are relevant to attracting a customer's passionate devotion.

They Listen . . . Really Listen

The Jack Daniel Distillery seems to use the package store owner to solicit feedback . . . up close and personal, and without defensiveness. At least that was Larry's perception. The company sponsors Jack Daniel's Tailgate parties--the JD version of Harley-Davidson's HOG (Harley Owner's Group) gatherings--as a chance for fans of Jack Daniel's to gather for fun and camaraderie. The company communicates the details on their Web site and uses the gathering as a chance to build customer loyalty and gather feedback.

They Value Trust

Log on to www.jackdaniels.com. The first thing you do is type in your birthday to access the site. The first words you read once you enter the Web site say: "Your friends at Jack Daniel's remind you to drink responsibly." The Jack Daniel's online store carries the warning, "This special collection of Jack Daniel's goods is intended for adults of legal drinking age."

The Jack Daniel Distillery knows that trust in the eyes of customers is a moving target--a verb, not a noun--and must be regained and reaffirmed with each new experience. They nourish marketplace trust as carefully as they do the sugar maples used to charcoal filter their whiskey.

They Stir Spirits

Every letter our friend received from the folks in Lynchburg was a creative masterpiece. "I tear it open faster than a check from the IRS," Larry told us, and then added, "I know these letters could be partly fantasy, but they keep me enchanted. Whatever the case, it sure is fun."

No matter what you call it, service with an element of surprise builds customer devotion. That said, magnetic service providers know that you cannot rely on "wowing" the customer as your mainstay . . . at some point you run out of room trying to "one up" the last experience. Still, most of us still enjoy an occasional unexpected gesture or the thrill of knowing that a service moment is unique. Just recall how some surprise you delivered affected an important friend or loved one. Magnetic service providers are masters at striking the right balance.

They Engage Curiosity

Jack Daniel Distillery uses its Web site and mailings to teach customers about everything from "How to sip Jack" to "Recipes with Jack" to "How we actually make Old Number 7." One of their biggest selling items is their collection of Jack Daniel's-inspired cookbooks. "There's a new marinade in their cookbook for barbequed venison," Larry told us. And, before we could stop him, he added, "I even learned recipes for cooking beaver and possum!"

Today's customers seek learning in practically every facet of life. The organization that is able to implant enlightenment into the customer's experience will win customer devotion.

They Foster Inclusion

When Jack Daniel Distillery invited Larry to write to his congressman, they were using inclusion as a strategy for sparking customer devotion. Customers' devotion toward an organization can ratchet up dramatically when they get an opportunity to put some "skin in the game."

Inclusion not only captures the creativity and competence of customers as they serve with you, but it inspires their commitment and allegiance, as well. Granted, there are customers who are not interested in participation. And there are times when customer inclusion would not be appropriate. As Jack Daniel Distillery has learned, the secret is knowing when and how to include.

They Value Customer Comfort

How can a product like Jack Daniel's be said to offer comfortable service? Jack Daniel's shows that they know that customers' needs vary. The product comes in every conceivable size--from a "single drink" pony bottle to a half-gallon container. And there are dozens of variations on the theme. Jack Daniel's sells barbeque sauce, lemonade, charcoal, and a host of other products, all flavored with the beloved beverage. Plus their Web site and store displays are accessible, conveying a touch of old-fashioned hospitality.

They Demonstrate Character

Jack Daniel Distillery obviously cares about the quality of their product. They proudly display on the bottle the many awards the Tennessee sipping whiskey has won. They also care about being a quality organization--demonstrating sensitivity to the fact that they are promoting alcohol consumption. They know a quality experience with their products comes with responsibility, and they boldly trumpet that fact. Organizations that are willing to take courageous, principled stands reassure customers that they are dealing with a solid organization likely to stand the test of time.

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Jack Daniel's whiskey might seem like an odd opening exemplar of magnetic service. We are obviously not advocating the irresponsible consumption of spirits. Nor are we on the Jack Daniel's payroll as sales reps, cheerleaders, or stockholders. We just think that Jack Daniel's clearly shows how a product-based company can build brand loyalty and consumer devotion through an eclectic collection of magnetic experiences. If a company in the business of making an object can astound their customers, think of the unlimited potential that organizations in the business of making memories have!

What the Jack Daniel's story demonstrates is that magnetic service is first and foremost bold, imaginative, and stimulating. At Jack Daniel's--and at all the service organizations we explore-magnetic service has a kind of joyful "wake-up call" dimension that makes the customer sit up and take notice. Magnetic service might be daring, or it might not be. It might be "out-loud" assertive, or it might be quietly provocative. It is always unexpected and ends up being a "shining moment" in the memory of the customer. Its power lies in its capacity to stir the emotion of the recipient.

Magnetic service involves a quest for being remarkable in the marketplace. "Remarkable takes originality, passion, guts, and daring," wrote Seth Godin, author of Purple Cow. "Not just because going through life with passion and guts beats the alternative (which it does), but because it's the only way to be successful. Today, the one sure way to fail is to be boring. Your one chance for success is to be remarkable."

The path to customer devotion is not complex. But it is by no means easy. Magnetic service begins with treating customers in new ways. If you ground your relationship with them in trust, show that you understand them, touch their spirits, teach them, let them witness your character, and occasionally charm them, they will passionately reward you with their devotion, their advocacy, and their funds.