How can you, as a luxury real estate marketer, build word of mouth and customer loyalty with extraordinary customer service? Here is an example that might inspire you, especially if you appreciate good coffee.

While dining at Gulfstream, one of our favorite restaurants in Century City (adjacent to Beverly Hills), we discovered perhaps one of the most remarkable brands of decaf we’ve ever tasted in the United States. The restaurant gladly shared their coffee source, Fonté, which we appreciated. As soon as we get home, we order some from their website as soon as we get home.

When the coffee arrived we immediately brewed a new cup only to be disappointed in how weak it was compared to the restaurant brew with the same beans. Alexandra was convinced that the problem was our coffee pot. Alexandra declared that it was time for a new machine (the one she found in the Williams-Sonoma catalog with some innovative features).

At our local Williams-Sonoma store in Santa Barbara, we asked the manager if the new machine really was superior. I wasn’t sure, but he offered to give us one to try. Now that is extraordinary customer service!

When he went to the back room to get the “loan”, he came back empty-handed. He was informed that three of these machines had recently been returned due to a leak. Instead of trying to sell us another machine (which he wasn’t interested in buying) he suggested a technique to clean our coffee maker at home.

That worked! This was a wonderful example of remarkable customer service, with a long-range vision to build customer loyalty. Now, we’re singing the praises of Gulfstream, Williams-Sonoma, and Fonte coffee.