LEGO Gets Freaky

When a product contains hundreds of tiny pieces, there are bound to be some mishaps.

Nobody knows that better than LEGO, which receives more than 4 million customer calls every year – many about missing pieces in the company’s kits.

For LEGO fans, few things are more devastating than a missing piece. Those calls are a key touchpoint for some of the brand’s most committed customers (or their parents) in their most frustrated moments. Making sure those interactions go well is vital for LEGO’s brand.

After a positive customer interaction generated some positive PR for the brickmakers, the company revealed its approach to engaging its audience of LEGO architects.

From LEGO to FRKE

LEGO gives its customer service teams a lot of leeway to follow their own blueprint with each customer interaction – provided they stick to the FRKE principle. The letters stand for:

• fun
• reliable
• knowledgeable
• engaging

Lots of companies commit to a similar combination of these attributes for their values. But LEGO has hit on the right combination and has made it memorable for employees and easy to implement. Here’s how LEGO Head of Writing and Tone of Voice Hannah Quill (the perfect name for the perfect job title) puts it:

“Freaky doesn’t solely mean fun and engaging, it also means following through, reliable, customer service.”

Like King Arthur Baking Company and Macy’s, LEGO understands the marketing power in how employees interact with customers. There’s even PR potential in these interactions.