Have you had an experience that makes you say, “Wow, that was great service”? I find that too often we tell the stories where service was bad. I have a story that I think is worth sharing and not just because of great service. I want to relate it to how I feel we should be servicing our clients whether you are a brand, property, or agency.

This was a few months ago, but it still resonates with me. It was in reference to a flight I was taking with Air Canada. I was flying out of Nanaimo to Calgary at noon. The flight, though, was grounded in another city due to snow, and as a result, had been cancelled for the segment from Nanaimo to Calgary. At about 8:30 a.m., I got a notification from Air Canada about the cancellation and that I had been automatically rescheduled for a flight that evening. Unfortunately, the later flight would cause me to miss a couple of scheduled afternoon and evening meetings. I understood that the cancellation was due to weather and was appreciative that they had rescheduled me, but I needed to see if there was any other way to get to Calgary sooner. So, I picked up the phone and called Air Canada. The reservation agent looked at flights, then asked me how far I was from the Nanaimo airport. I told her I could be there in 60 minutes or so (including closing up my work at the office, driving to the airport, parking, and making it through security). She said, “Great!” And she got me on a 10:30 a.m. flight to Vancouver with a connecting flight to Calgary that would get me in about 40 minutes after my original planned arrival time. What is more, on the YVR to YYC leg, they bumped me to business class at no charge. I thought, “Wow, weather disruption and I still get to my destination about the same time and in business class.” I was really appreciative and am constantly reminded of how terrific customer-oriented service wins over customers.

The exceptional service did not end there. While at Nanaimo airport waiting to fly on the 13-minute flight to Vancouver, we experienced another delay. The flight was late due to bad weather at the departure location which meant it would be delayed leaving Nanaimo. The Air Canada gate agent recognized the need to ensure connections were made in Vancouver. So, to speed up the boarding process, she had half the passengers or so come up and she scanned their tickets and checked ID, then segregated this group so that when the O.K. was given to board, 25 or so of the 50 passengers were ready to board while she checked the other 25 or so passengers. Thoughtful service. “How can I speed up this process in a bad scenario?” Well done. I made my connection and my meetings.

How does this relate to sponsorship? It is about relationships. On that day, Air Canada further developed my relationship with them. They made me think, “I like flying this airline. They are accommodating, they are helpful, they care about me and my business and went out of their way to get me to my meetings when cancellations were not their fault.” Sponsorship is about relationships. If you are just buying GRPs or impressions, you have formulas and ratios—there are no real relationships. Your media buy is based on nothing more than a numbers game. Sponsorship is about delivering experiences for the audience, sponsor, and property. When a brand buys a sponsorship, it is about the property being able to deliver the right audience at the right price. It is also about the service and relationship between the brand and the property as well as the audience (yes, that is the Trinity of Sponsorship at work again)!

Too often, I still see properties close a deal and basically not connect with the sponsor until renewal time. (Yes, this still happens. We see it. We try to correct it, but it happens constantly.) Here are a few ways that sponsors, audiences, and properties have ongoing relationship building opportunities and provide incredible service that is above and beyond expectations. This is what helps make renewals happen and success prosper.

• Bring your brand partner to your property and let them have a behind-the-scenes experience at no charge—and don’t pitch them anything or even talk business. This works both ways. As a brand, why not bring the property partner to your place of business and show them what you do!

• Connect them with your audience in different ways such as at a donor reception or an event they are not specifically aligned with through an article about them in a newsletter or posting.

• Just call them and take them for lunch or coffee—no strings attached, no agenda, no pitch—just a “thanks for being our partner.”

• Notice a news story about them in the paper or elsewhere and send a copy to them. Sure, they probably saw it too, but it lets them know you are thinking about them.

• Perhaps have a Google alert set up under your partner’s name and get notices on them.

• Send them a birthday or anniversary greeting.

• Often in Calgary we send our clients Strawberry Shortcakes on Valentine’s Day through the Rotary Club of Calgary West, a fund raiser for this service group.

What ideas do you have that properties, brands, and audiences can do for minimal to no cost that enhances customer service and strengthens relationships?

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