Last week, we stopped at the local Staples store and while looking for some new power cords, a gentleman approached and said, “Excuse me, are you John with the socks? I love you guys. I see you on TV and social media. You always make me smile.”
John fell into a great conversation with the man, took photos with him and even spoke to his wife on the phone.
On Saturday afternoon, we found ourselves with a tire rapidly losing air. We limped into a tire shop and a worker came running out of the garage not because he saw our tire but because he saw John. He was excited to meet John. The two exchanged high fives, took photos with the man and John gave him his business card.
John visited a local Kohl’s store because they are now carrying John’s Crazy Socks in many of their stores. On the way in, a customer stopped John to tell him how she follows him on Instagram and he makes her so happy. She said her son would be jealous because she got to meet John. John recorded a video on the woman’s phone so she could share it with her son.
John Loves When Customers Recognize Him
John has been fortunate with a lot of media coverage and social media exposure. As a result, people recognize John and his great big smile. And John loves it. John is so grateful for our customers because they make everything possible. Our customers enable us to hire people with differing abilities, to give back to our charity partners and most of all, to spread happiness. When customers approach John, it gives him an opportunity to thank them.
John meets customers everywhere he goes. On a trip to Calgary for a speaking engagement, one of the TSA agents turned out to be a fan as did a Canadian customs agent. John frequently meets fans in airports as he travels and no matter what, he greets them with a smile and gladly poses for photos.
This means that if you see John in his travels, please say hello. He loves hearing from customers and he is always ready to take a photo.
That’s Not an Angry Driver, That’s a Happy Customer
John likes to tell the story about the time we went off to see his older brother Patrick in an improv show in a theater in downtown New York City. As we crossed a narrow street, a huge black SUV came barreling towards us and screeched on the brakes. We scurried to the sidewalk and the driver began to climb out of the vehicle. This mountain of a man began walking towards us. We thought he came in anger. Instead, the driver came rushing over with his arms out. “You're John,” he said, “from John's Crazy Socks. I had to stop to say hello.”
The next thing you know, John and the driver are doubling over in laughter, telling stories to each other and taking photos.
Make It Personal
One of our five pillars that guides are business is “make it personal.” We are not chasing transactions, we want to develop relationships with our customers, we want to build a community. John greeting customers is part of that commitment.
We strive to create customer experiences. For example, if you order socks from us, we don't throw the socks in a bag and send them off. You will receive a package with our logo on the outside. It is bright and cheery and just the sight of it will make you smile. And when you open that package, you will receive the socks you wanted and they are great socks, but you also get a handwritten thank you note from John, the story of John's Crazy Socks, some candy and on the packing slip, you will see the picture and the name of the person who packed your order. Opening the package becomes an experience.
When you buy our socks, not only do you receive great socks (we have over 30,000 five star reviews), you also help us employ people with differing abilities (more than half our colleagues have a differing ability) and you help us give back to our charity partners (we have donated over $625,000 to organizations such as the Special Olympics the National Down Syndrome Society and the Autism Society of America). Most of all, you help us spread happiness. You can see how buying socks from John's Crazy Socks is not simply a transaction, it is an experience that makes you feel good.
Meeting customers and greeting them warmly is part of our commitment to make it personal. For John, meeting customers is not an obligation, but an opportunity. His smile and enthusiasm come from his heart. We do many speaking engagements at conferences, corporate events and colleges and universities. John never simply speaks and leaves. He takes his time to greet everyone who wants to speak with him and take pictures with them. He loves it.
If you see John at a speaking event or on his travels or just walking around our town, stop him and say hello. He would love to thank you for your support and for being a customer. After all, we're on a mission to spread happiness.
About John’s Crazy Socks
John’s Crazy Socks was inspired by John Lee Cronin, a young man with Down syndrome, and his love of colorful and fun socks—what he calls his “crazy socks.” He and his father, Mark X. Cronin, started the company as a social enterprise with a mission of Spreading Happiness™. With more than 4,000 socks, John’s Crazy Socks is now the world’s largest sock store. More than half their employees have a differing ability, and their Giving Back program has raised over $625,000 for charity partners like the Special Olympics, the National Down Syndrome Society, and the Autism Society of America. Most of all, they are Spreading Happiness™.
For more information about John’s Crazy Socks, visit our webpage, Facebook page, Instagram account, TikTok or YouTube channel. You can also contact us at 631-760-5625 or via email at service@johnscrazysocks.com.
