Secret shortcut: personal vs. impersonal
Form letters don't work. Autographs do.
Surly cashiers fail. Smiles from real people succeed.
Humans like humans. They hate organizations.
Engadget shares this photo of an xBox 360 signed by the entire xBox team (and Bill Gates). Way better than an impersonal letter apologizing for mishandling a computer that was sent in for repair, no? (They had cleaned off a customer's machine covered with sentimental graffiti).
Do you know what most people want? They want you to care.
