It’s tough to be a winery these days, and it’s even tougher to build a rabid, loyal fan base among consumers. As a wine club member at HALL Winery in St. Helena, California, I was more than a little impressed when I received my expected shipment from the winery last night.
The box was filled with the wines I had ordered (a half case of the fabulous 2013 Eighteen Seventy-Three cab), but also enclosed was a heartfelt note thanking me for my loyalty (it is my one year anniversary as a club member) as well as a complimentary bottle of 2012 Coeur Cabernet Sauvignon (a $75.00, 94 point bottle of wine).
As you would imagine, this absolutely thrilled me and gave me such a warm and fuzzy feeling towards the winery. Yes, I realize this is a business and a slick way to build brand loyalty, but I absolutely feel valued as a customer — and I will be sure to tell everyone I know about what great customer service HALL provides.
I’ve been a long-time customer at many wineries (spending several thousands of dollars per year on their wines), but none have ever thought to thank me like this before. Really, how difficult is it to throw in an extra surprise, be it a special bottle of wine or a mass-produced card? I’ve never been more impressed with this celebration of my one year club anniversary.
I must add that none of these wineries know that I write as The Grape Geek, and they do not send me freebies just so I’ll write something nice about them. I’m a regular customer just like you, and I pay for my wines and club memberships like a regular Joe.
Thanks, HALL!
The Grape Geeks 