This month is one of those rare times when it seems as if all the QP columnists somehow got on the same wavelength. As you read through the features and the columns, you’ll find three recurring threads popping up: wide-format printing, multi-channel marketing, and the emergence of non-print services.

I’ll admit those are pretty hot topics in the industry right now. Still, you have to admit that it’s not every day you hear this crowd singing from the same page in the songbook. It’s as if they are echoing each other; each one bolstering the points made by the others.

Even more serendipitous is that I recently had a personal encounter with well executed multi-channel marketing. Bob and I recently caved in and bought a new car. It is a dark blue—Vortex Blue, to be exact—2012 Honda Fit. And it is sweet! But that’s not the point. The point is that a few days after buying it we received an email from our Honda dealer that mentioned both of our names, the name of our sales dude, the fact that we attended the recent auto show at the Charleston Civic Center, and it featured a photo of our new car. In Vortex Blue. Since then we’ve gotten a letter, a survey, and a phone call that were all perfectly coordinated.

But there’s more to the story. And this part is all about customer service. We had pretty much decided on the Fit about two years ago. Well, Bob would tell you that I decided on the Fit two years ago. And from the first time I laid eyes on it, I’ve wanted a blue one. However, the one we saw at this year’s auto show was bright red, and we decided it was time to make a move. We reached an agreement with Adam, our sales dude, and planned to pick up the red car the next day.

That night he called to tell us that there had been a mix up and the car at the show actually belonged to another dealer and he couldn’t sell it to us. But he remembered that what I really, really wanted was a blue one. Apparently, in the aftermath of the tsunami, getting picky about the color of a Honda can be a deal breaker, but Adam was determined. He probably has a database that told him where the nearest Vortex Blue Fit was located, but I imagine he had to do some negotiating to get it.

Whatever the means he used, Adam retrieved exactly the car I wanted from a dealer in Virginia. He presented us with the keys (and the loan papers) just one day later than originally planned. And we still got the discount from the auto show. All in all, this is the best car buying experience either of us has ever had. Will we recommend this dealer to our friends? You better believe it. And we’ll tell them to ask for Adam.

What can you deliver to your customers that will make them feel like they just drove away in the car of their dreams? Keep reading because our writers have some great suggestions.