Coffee shop order on counter with a cup that has Amy written on it
Insert Customer Names Into Purchases
Framing

Insert Customer Names Into Purchases

Customers prefer order tracking by name (vs. number).

How should you track orders?

For example:

  • Starbucks tracks by name
  • Costco tracks by order number

Generally, customers prefer name tracking (Lim et al., 2024).

Why It Works

  • Relationship feels personal
  • Positive emotions from names can transfer to the product.
  • Products feel more valuable when we own them (e.g., endowment effect).

How to Apply

  • Address Customers By Name. Emails from GoDaddy address the Customer ID.
GoDaddy personalized emails with ID numbers, whereas EventBrite uses the first name.
  • Insert Names in Ecommerce. Try naming the customer's basket.
Dave's Basket

Caveats

  • Privacy. Use number tracking with privacy concerns.
  • Failure Contexts. In a mock restaurant, slow service was tolerated in a private room called Room 212 (vs. no name or Kitamoto). Participants also tolerated an overcooked steak at Table 218, compared to an unmarked table (Song et al., 2022).
Waitress spilling drink on customer who stays smiling

  • Lim, S., van Osselaer, S. M., Goodman, J. K., Fuchs, C., & Schreier, M. (2024). The Starbucks effect: When name-based order identification increases customers' store preference and service satisfaction. Journal of Retailing.

Want more tactics?

Get all my free copywriting tactics