It happens to me every time I call Delta Airlines customer support. I love to hear it. In fact, for some quirky reason, it's one of the reasons that Delta is my first choice whenever I fly.
And Accenture recently found through surveying consumers in the United States and United Kindom, 56 percent of them said they would be more likely to shop in-store and on-line at retailers that recognize them by name.
That's it - it's recognizing and greeting a person by his or her name. It makes customers more loyal.
In today's world of robotics, algorithms and artificial intelligence, it seems so ironic, if not trite, that a technique predating our great grandmothers can have such a significant impact on customer loyalty.
But it does.
And it probably always will.
As long customers remain human at the core.
And they probably always will.