What Have We Done for You Lately? 5 Ways to Demonstrate Proof of Service

By Casey Freymuth

The hospitality industry has mastered the concept of “proof of service.”

Toilet paper rolls are folded to assure us that the bathrooms we guests use have been cleaned. Turndown service reminds us there’s a whole staff there at the hotel, making our stay comfortable. Though rumored to have originated when Cary Grant laid out a “breadcrumb” trail of chocolates for a mistress in the Penthouse suite of the Mayfair Hotel in St. Louis, a mint on the pillow serves the same purpose — to make customers feel appreciated, if not loved.

Proof of service is becoming an imperative for technology companies as well — especially given the challenges we all face in maintaining deep connections with customers as noted in our blog, “Three Ways to Rekindle Customer Intimacy.” In the tech space, many of our solutions, especially cloud and managed services, allow customers to “set it and forget it.” It’s a key part of the value proposition partners sell. The trouble, though, is that “forgetting it” means customers easily forget what those solutions (and by extension your company) are doing for them. Here are several ideas for reminding customers of the value you provide. 

Khali Henderson is senior partner and Casey Freymuth is managing partner at BuzzTheory Strategies, a marketing and strategy consulting firm specializing in the channel. 

Read more from Khali Henderson.