So long as we’re on the topic of staying special, consider this recent short piece about Apple, from MacRumors:

[Apple’s] focus this week has been to troubleshoot all the iPad 2s that customers are returning to the stores. One iPad came back with a post it note on it that said “Wife said no.” It was escalated as something funny, and two of the VPs got wind of it. They sent the guy an iPad 2 with a note on it that said “Apple said yes.”

Lessons:

1. The customer was made ecstatic.
2. You can bet he told everyone he knows.
3. This story was posted on MacRumors, where it was read by thousands and commented on by 136 people.
4. Here’s the big one: countless articles were written about this single action by two Apple executives. Coverage was provided by publications including PC World, The Business Insider, TechDay and others.
5. It’s such a good, interesting and unique story that many people who read about it likely told friends and family.
6. Even if this story isn’t real, it doesn’t matter. The positive vibes it created are real.

Finally, I want you to internalize this: when you take an extra step to make one single customer happy, you are building good will and energy with a much larger group of people. When you give a $20 discount, or a free month of service, or (gasp!) have an executive contact a customer to see if he is happy, this action will be communicated energetically by that customer. It may be picked up by the media (and it’s your job to make that happen).

What we are doing — marketing consumer electronics — is not rocket science. Most of what I consult about — to the biggest tech makers in the world — is common sense.

So, common sense: make one customer exceptionally happy every single day, and then enjoy the consequences.