Customer Service & Marketing

I've been working at my current job for just over a year now.  I've never had business cards printed because there hasn't really been a need for them.  I strictly do in-house work and most of my contacts are sales staff who frequently communicate by phone or email.   Our corportate office is fairly small, so it's never been a problem for people to get in touch with me. There really haven't been many occasions when I've needed a business card.

However, during November and December of last year, we met with several print houses regarding our 600+ page Product Catalog that I've been working on for over a year.  I met with most of them in person and scrawled my info on a generic company card.  I never met the representatives in person of the company that gave the best estimate and we decided to go with.  I did have several teleconferences with them and emailed frequently during this whole process.  We've used the company in the past and have a working relationship with them.  At one point, my contact mailed me his Pantone Swatch Book so I could nail down some color issues (the catalog is a 2-color job) and it came time this week to mail it back to him.

Because I dont have business cards, I borrowed one from my boss (who has been involved with the process as well), then made a faux business card "sleeve", printed it and clipped it around the boss' card.  I stuck it in with the Swatch Book and mailed it back.

Yesterday, I received an unexpected return package in the mail.  When I opened it, I was shocked to find a stack of business cards and the note, "We hate to see you go without business cards.  P.S. we print business cards."  They did a high-resolution scan of the art from the sleeve I sent and printed out double-sided cards from it.  It was a great example of customer relations and mad marketing skills.  My hat goes off to Ripon Printers.  Thanks for going the extra mile!