A recent trip to a Mercedes dealership for my Smart car called to mind the importance of customer service. I was greeted by name in the car park, and shown to the reception. Whilst waiting for my car to be serviced, I was continually asked whether I wanted another drink. In fact, I rather enjoyed the peace and quiet of the showroom to get some work done actually! The service manager assigned to my car kept me well updated with the progress, and apologised for the time it had taken. When it was ready, I was well fed and watered and the car had had a full valet inside and out. Plus, when I got to my car there was a notice inside the car which apologised that they may have moved my seat - as if they had to apologise!

Anyway, the point is Mercedes is an iconic brand, and one renowned for its quality. As a customer it certainly lived up to its reputation, and led to great satisfaction on my part. This is where brand strategy goes far past just a logo!