by David Stanley on April 23, 2010
“We’re Building Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company” – this was the statement in the Amazon.com customer rep’s email signature. I had just had anything but a “customer centric” experience. Receiving this statement in the automatic response email didn’t make be feel any better.
Beware Of Making Bold Statements You Don’t Live Up To
I order frequently from Amazon.com. Most of my experiences are pretty seamless, which is “customer centric.” In this circumstance, I needed to find out more as to why a book was late. I use their Prime service which ships via two-day air. My book didn’t arrive as scheduled and UPS said that it was labeled as ground delivery. If that’s the case, it was an Amazon.com mistake.
Going through the Amazon.com website didn’t provide me any answers so I needed to speak to someone. Good luck with finding that easily (which would be “customer centric.”) Finally, I did a Google search and found a customer service telephone number. Upon reaching a real person, I pretty much got the same spiel as I did with UPS.
The problem was that I didn’t receive the service I paid for. Then I had to press the Amazon.com rep to at least give me something for their screw-up. I got a $5 credit to use against a future purchase. Since the Prime program is a flat rate on shipping for a year, invoices do not have a charge for shipping so I wasn’t expecting a refund. However, I shouldn’t have to ask for something to compensate me for my aggravation. A “customer centric” company should have been proactive in wanting ease my inconvenience. At least that’s my expectation when I hear that terminology. Consequently, I judged the experience by my expectation. That’s what your customers will do too.
4 Lessons For Creating A Positive Customer Experience:
- Do what you say you’re going to do. Don’t make a bold statement and then not deliver on it.
- Make it easy for people to interact with your business. Don’t make them search Google for contact info.
- Don’t hide behind fine print or use business speak (say customer service, not customer centric.)
- If you make a mistake, take initiative in offering the customer a discount, provide a service or offer a freebie to compensate for the negative experience.
It’s always a challenge to win customers, especially in the economy of the last two years, but creating a positive customer experience shouldn’t be a challenge. The four lessons above are no-brainers (maybe that’s why more businesses don’t take these steps.)
A positive customer experience is a competitive advantage. What are you going to do to create one for your customers?
by David Stanley on March 1, 2010
Can your brand survive a public relations nightmare?
Toyota has enjoyed a strong brand perception even to the point of achieving near cult-like status and loyalty. Can the “Cult of Toyota” survive the current public relations debacle related to the recent recalls and U.S. Government investigations? It’s too early to tell, but they haven’t suffered the knockout blow that weaker brands would have. The power of their brand is sustaining them for now.
What are the lessons for marketers?
Don’t Just Open For Business, Build Powerful Brand
A couple of years ago my oldest son was ready to get his drivers license. What I discovered during the process of vehicle shopping revealed much about the power of brand perception. I found a GMC product and a Toyota product at a used car dealership. These two vehicles were comparable in size, mileage, and features – about as “apples to apples” as you can get. The Toyota was priced $4000 higher!
A one-time instance? Nope. Back in January prior to Toyota’s major recall and bad PR issues, I was again shopping for a used vehicle for another son getting his drivers license. While visiting with our local used car guru, the same issue came up—Toyota vehicles had higher resell value than American-made autos.
Toyota has built the perception of making quality vehicles. That perception has embedded itself in the brand image the buying public has of Toyota.
Once Established, Brand Perceptions Are Hard To Change
Now the oldest son is about to graduate from high school. I made a deal with him that if he got enough scholarships to cover the tuition to the college of his choice, I’d buy him a new car. He’s taking that deal seriously and has recently begun asking about what brands he should consider. I said Toyota and Honda, even after the Toyota recall.
We live on a ranch and have three kids so a larger SUV fits our current needs. Our family vehicle is a GMC Yukon XL. We hit 120,000 miles a few months back. My lingering perception is that you should get rid of a GM vehicle after 100,000 miles. (I had the same perception about Ford and Chrysler as well.) My trusted mechanic tells me that it’s no longer true. American made vehicles can be driven well over 100,000 miles these days. If I hadn’t spoken with a mechanic that I trust, I would have traded in the Yukon – most likely on a Toyota or Honda product. Why? My perception is they make a better quality product. The reality is also that they have enjoyed higher resale values.
Even though Toyota has issues today, I still have an overall positive perception of the brand and believe it has a realistic chance to survive the current crisis. That’s the power of a strong brand.
What are you doing to strengthen the power of your brand? Are you building solid relationships with your customers through quality products and outstanding customer service, or are you just open for business and hoping for the best?
“We’re Building Earth’s Most Customer-Centric Company” – this was the statement in the Amazon.com customer rep’s email signature. I had just had anything but a “customer centric” experience. Receiving this statement in the automatic response email didn’t make be feel any better.
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