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We live in a fast-moving world. We work in an industry that focuses on metrics, conversion, high-profit margins, automation, scaling and data. We struggle to connect with our customers on a personal level.
“Hi, I’m a real person here to help you.” …This is rarely how a piece of software or customer support makes you feel. This doesn’t happen because it’s hard to scale and it’s harder to automate.
…But when a company does make you feel like a friend, it stops you in your tracks.
Let’s stop for a second, would you be loyal to a company that is amorphous? No, you’re loyal to things you have a relationship with, it’s hard to feel emotionally loyal to a company without a brand personality
Enter in AppSignal, a bootstrapped company in Amsterdam, that helps rails developers monitor their rails applications. Being bootstrapped forces you to look at your limited resources and utilize them. You cannot outspend your competitors. You cannot build more features than them. You cannot sponsor more events than them or buy more ads. You cannot chase your competition or play on the same playing field.
What does AppSignal have as a resource that makes them different from other monitoring apps? The easiest thing is their location, Amsterdam. The Netherlands are famous for stroopwafels.
So today, I was sitting here and got a knock on the door from the postman. It was a package from Roy at AppSignal.
I think I’m suppose to share them, but no way.
Could AppSignal have sent me a shirt with their company logo on it that I’d never wear? Could they have mailed me just a package of stickers or a mousepad? Sure, but instead they choose items that I’d actually care and talk about.
Look at their card. Look at their copywriting on their stroopwafel sticker. They rejected traditional views of “professionalism” and instead they spoke to me like a friend.
I was recently at Front-End Design Conference and the host Dan Denney said “MailChimp is a great product everyone loves that company.”
When your product is more than just features and you make your customers feel like they know you, that creates loyalty. And now, AppSignal is more than features; I’d describe them as “AppSignal. I love that company. They’re my friends.” …that’s what loyalty sounds like.