I am obscenely loyal to our local Home Depot. I’ve had a number of people argue with me that another store is cheaper, another is nicer and yet another is locally owned. Yet I can’t help it – I love our local Home Depot.

This is in stark contrast to another contributor on this blog’s Home Depot experience. While this is its own lesson in how brand reputation can vary from one area to another, people always demand to know just how I became so loyal to this store.

It’s simple: They are nice to my kids.

When I visit other home improvement stores, employees often actively avoid me as I barrel down the aisles with three well-behaved but very loud boys. Yet at Home Depot, they smile and talk to the boys. They ask if the boys can have suckers. I feel welcomed, my boys feel welcomed and that small act makes our entire shopping experience more pleasant. I will happily give you my money if it means that we’re not all stressed out by the time I leave the store.

Our local Home Depot gives me that.

Similarly, I love to do my online shopping with Old Navy/Gap/Banana Republic brands. Why? They offer flat rate shipping across all their brands. My shopping cart can also accumulate items across all brands. What is it about their website that makes me so happy? It makes my life easier.

It’s that simple.

As the holidays approach, many brands are going to start trying to invent the ultimate holiday marketing campaign. However, it’s important to consider your customer’s needs when planning these campaigns. Just because you deem something innovative does not mean it will go over well.

At a time of year when stress is likely to be overwhelming your customers and everyone is slammed and busy, I’d suggest finding ways to make your customers’ lives easier. It may just be a strategy that pays off all year long.