Here’s a surprise: a customer fulfillment notice that’s actually fun to read. After ordering a from CD Baby a copy of Ronee Blakley Live at the Mint, I expected to receive a perfunctory confirmation of my purchase shipment. Instead here’s what I found in my email in-box:

“Your CD has been gently taken from our CD Baby shelves with sterilized contamination-free gloves and placed onto a satin pillow. A team of 50 employees inspected your CD and polished it to make sure it was in the best possible condition before mailing. Our packing specialist from Japan lit a candle and a hush fell over the crowd as he put your CD into the finest gold-lined box that money can buy. We all had a wonderful celebration afterwards and the whole party marched down the street to the post office where the entire town of Portland waved ‘Bon Voyage!’ to your package, on its way to you, in our private CD Baby jet on this day. We hope you had a wonderful time shopping at CD Baby. In commemoration, we have placed your picture on our wall as ‘Customer of the Year.’ We’re all exhausted but can’t wait for you to come back to CDBABY.COM!!

Even the “From” field of the email caught my eye: “CD Baby Loves You,” which automatically made me want to open the email. And once I did, the note had me at hello. I read every word, finding myself caught up in a small moment of entertainment amid a busy day.

Every customer touch point is an opportunity to surprise and delight. When has a company surprised and delighted you lately? I’d love to hear about your CD Baby moment.