Time-out

For years retailers have been trying to get a jump on the others for the first to the rafters with wreaths and red elves. This year, this sign at Nordstroms has been making the rounds of social media to great response.

Interpreting customer sentiment and positioning yourself uniquely as the 'anti-', as branding experts would say. The anti-Christmas retailer.

Well done, Nordstroms. You're all on Santa's good list this year.

I Will Not Be Ignored!

I'm your customer. But I’m a person first. And...

I feel ignored when you tell me that my call is important to you as I wait for you to answer my call.

I feel ignored when you tell me how friendly you are but no one greets me when I enter your store.

I feel ignored when you call me by my first name the first time we speak.

I feel ignored when you interrupt me at home and mispronounce my name.

I feel ignored when you ask me how I am and launch into the script before I've answered.

I feel ignored when I give you identifying information more than once in the same call.

I feel taken for granted if you say your name is 'Pat' but you sound more like a 'Vishalakshi'. Don't make your first statement to me a lie.

I feel ignored when you say you value me as a customer but you give the free offer to 'new customers only'.

I feel ignored if your 'convenient hours' don't include the one time I need you.

So now I’m right here, in front of you, in person, on the phone, in a chat queue.

I can’t be a more cooperative prospective customer. There is no bigger buying signal. You attracted me with your great strategy, compelling ads, responsive community, and attentive automated lead nurturing.

And so here I am! I did what you wanted.

Why are you ignoring me?

Brand In The Place That You Live

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Penny-Wise and Pound Foolish

A blog posting in MSNBC's Red Tape Chronicles notes the same issue I mentioned in an earlier post regarding a company's own judgement of their customer service:

http://redtape.msnbc.com/2007/05/ever_wonder_why.html

Back on January 24th, I posted thoughts on how companies misguide themselves into thinking their customer satisfaction rates are high by measuring the wrong things:

http://strategy180.blogspot.com/2007/01/of-metrics-and-meaning.html

In Bob Sullivan's blog, he notes that "nearly 6 in 10 respondents told researchers they were somewhat upset or extremely upset with the way their most recent customer service experience was handled, according to consulting firm Accenture." Yet, he goes on, the same survey shows that 75 percent of high-tech CEOs say their companies provide 'above average' customer care.

The reason for poor service is often cost, yet in the bottomline-oriented boardroom, what is lost on this reasoning is the real cost. We've all heard the adage that an unhappy customer tells nine friends, a happy one, two. Well, the figures are even more compelling. As Sullivan's blog points out, the consequences of poor service can be severe. Consumers who feel they've been badly treated are incredibly disloyal, as 81 percent said they'd purchase from a competitor next time... and even 'average' treatment isn't good enough -- only 27 percent of those consumers say they'll buy again from the same company. The actual cost of providing good customer service -- having a human being answer the phone, for example -- only costs between $10 and $30 per customer. Acquiring new customers is much more expensive. For example, direct broadcast satellite system firms like DirecTV spend on average about $600 to acquire customers, according to an Accenture spokesperson.