Point made. Well done Apple.
Consumer's Love
Working a rather complicated (and heated) consumer affairs case this morning. The consumer kept saying she was disappointed “in such a highly regarded company” and she “never expected such a great brand to have an issue like she’s experiencing."
Get this- she was disappointed in more than my company and brand…she was disappointed in “her brand.” It seems that she has had a vested interest in our organization for many years. She’s owned our products, referred her friends and basically bragged about being part of our brand. So she’s emotional AND disappointed- not because of her product- but because she opened herself up, she fell in love.
Now is consumer affairs about fixing problems or mending emotions?
Get this- she was disappointed in more than my company and brand…she was disappointed in “her brand.” It seems that she has had a vested interest in our organization for many years. She’s owned our products, referred her friends and basically bragged about being part of our brand. So she’s emotional AND disappointed- not because of her product- but because she opened herself up, she fell in love.
Now is consumer affairs about fixing problems or mending emotions?
Stop those pesky expectations!
Why do consumer expect our products to do things that’s not in the brochure? How on earth can they continue to broaden their expectations of our stuff when we never put it in our materials or told the sales force or shared with Customer Service? So why are they doing this to us? Don’t they know we control things around here? Funny thing is…you ask that $31k/yr Customer Service Rep and she’ll tell you…yep, she knows more than her $90k/yr Brand friends…
The Product is the Marketing
Seth mentioned today that "The product IS the marketing!"
Thanks Seth...for a minute there I thought that mediocre quality was moving towards "acceptable." Day in and day out consumers are using our stuff...either smiling with it or bitching at it...good Lord man, everything matters!!! The quality, the packaging, the warranty card, simple, easy to understand instructions...everything! Making a nice four-color piece for the counter card holder means shit next to that!
(yes, I'm referring to Seth Godin- if you don't know that name you don't know marketing)
Thanks Seth...for a minute there I thought that mediocre quality was moving towards "acceptable." Day in and day out consumers are using our stuff...either smiling with it or bitching at it...good Lord man, everything matters!!! The quality, the packaging, the warranty card, simple, easy to understand instructions...everything! Making a nice four-color piece for the counter card holder means shit next to that!
(yes, I'm referring to Seth Godin- if you don't know that name you don't know marketing)
Involved Customer
The “Involved Customer” is here. There they are, lurking in our warehouse, standing in the back of the conference room and yes, right there in customer service where they have always been. So…are we upset that they are sticking their proverbial nose in our business mucking up our way of doing things? Or…
Yep, we should be glad…an involved customer creates a customer focused company.
(...and that damn well not be a cliche- customers rule damnit!)
Yep, we should be glad…an involved customer creates a customer focused company.
(...and that damn well not be a cliche- customers rule damnit!)
My Brand...not the customer's
Let's take a step back here Ms. Brand Manager.
It’s not what you do…it’s what customer's do with what you do!
So...does it really make since to say "Our customers are using the product in the wrong way?"
It’s not what you do…it’s what customer's do with what you do!
So...does it really make since to say "Our customers are using the product in the wrong way?"
Managing 101
Get out of the office! Now!
No more emails to your Operations Manager the next office down.
No more phone calls to someone 25 feet away.
Get up off your duff! Now!
No more emails to your Operations Manager the next office down.
No more phone calls to someone 25 feet away.
Get up off your duff! Now!
Real Estate Agents- you give me gas!
Have Real Estate Agents ever heard of the word “marketing?” Pick up your local real estate magazine at the Safeway, flip through and see how they’re speding their money (really your money if your using them). Yep, same smiling picture as everyone else (and I mean 100% of everyone else), same stupid quote like “John goes the extra mile for you” and same oh so stupid listing that DOES NOT HAVE THE TOWN LISTED. Oh sure, I know that is their “real professional marketing” technique by insuring you call them to find out where this house you seem to like might be…but it’s stupid. Listen up you boneheads- we buy houses, not you. So get your houses out there…promote them, make it easy to find them, easy to go see them…easy to BUY THEM. (and please stop marketing your glossy, poofed-up hair of a picture. I get it…you like yourself).
Sales guy with a solution
I just got off the phone with another interrupting salesperson. It seems he could, for a small fortune, completely turn around Hunter Douglas's consumer response metrics with a great measuring software package. It would measure (what I already measure mind you but with cooler graphics) everything our staff does to fully maximize their time and efficiency.
Being an eager young man he followed his pitch with the question..."How would you benefit from this great tool?" My response was simply..."I measure consumer satisfaction- every contact- everyday. If those numbers are strong, my staffs doing their job."
I had the guy stumped...and I was free from the call.
Of course it brings up a point: Why do we spend so much time measuring how we do something? Seems we would be better served to focus on measuring how the output of what were doing impacts those were targeting. It's just selfish to only measure your own internal stuff.
Being an eager young man he followed his pitch with the question..."How would you benefit from this great tool?" My response was simply..."I measure consumer satisfaction- every contact- everyday. If those numbers are strong, my staffs doing their job."
I had the guy stumped...and I was free from the call.
Of course it brings up a point: Why do we spend so much time measuring how we do something? Seems we would be better served to focus on measuring how the output of what were doing impacts those were targeting. It's just selfish to only measure your own internal stuff.
Bitter? Me?
Fact: if an organization does not want to change it will not.
Fact: people get in the way of anything valuable to an organization.
Fact: idiots breed like rabbits and are everywhere.
Solution: learn to navigate the waters or move on...
Fact: people get in the way of anything valuable to an organization.
Fact: idiots breed like rabbits and are everywhere.
Solution: learn to navigate the waters or move on...
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)