Lagniappe

Ever heard of the word “lagniappe”?

I first came across it while listening to a “book on tape” about providing great customer service.

The definition is simple: A lagniappe is something given as a bonus or extra gift.

What started as an old Louisiana tradition, especially in the French Quarter of New Orleans, the concept has spread internationally.

Here are some examples:

Say you buy a dozen doughnuts and the baker throws an extra one in your box. You've just been given a lagniappe. (Baker’s Dozen!)

If you bought a car and the dealership hid a coupon for a free oil change in the glove box; lagniappe.

If you went to a department store and the store offered free popcorn and drinks to its customers; lagniappe.

If you bought something at a Black Friday sale and received a gift with purchase; lagniappe.

Here are some suggestions we’ve made to our branded merch clients to bring a lagniappe to THEIR clients:

Own a pizza shop? Give a pizza cutter with each pizza purchased.

Letting employees choose their gifts in a pick-a-gift shop we are building for you? Have us include a surprise Yeti with each shipment to employee home offices.

Providing a notebook for a conference? Include a matching printed pen in the pen loop.

Ordering merch big enough to accommodate a QR code? Have that QR code go to a site to capture an address to which you can send a surprise thank you gift.

As my friend Bill Petrie shared at his presentation at a conference last fall, a lagniappe is just one of several ways you can ensure your clients love your brand.

What lagniappes could you add to your business repertoire?