Remember the phrase "Don't take any wooden nickels?" If someone can take something so seemingly worthless as a wooden nickel and create value around it, then there's a lesson there.

Teaching the lesson is none other than my local hardware store, Ace Hardware. If you bring your own bag, or bypass taking one when checking out, they hand you a wooden nickel. You then turn around and go over to a table set up in the store where 3 barrels appear. They are labeled:

Palo Alto Elementary Schools
Palo Alto Middle Schools
Palo Alto High Schools

You drop your nickel into the barrel of your choice, where it makes a satisfying thud. Five cents goes to the schools of your choice.

There are countless retailers offering discounts for bring-your-own-bag green behavior. But I have yet to see one that rewards the customer is such a memorable way. The fact that the barrels are set up away from the checkout and that the customer "owns" the experience of dropping it in is so very smart.

Walking out of the store this morning, I thought to myself "What is Maternal Instinct's wooden nickel?" What is yours? How could you encourage behavior from your clients or customers with a simple act like this?

Labels: customer loyalty

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