With the advent of new communication techniques companies are increasingly likely to cut out the middleman. In the past companies would hire people to get information from and about their clients. Now the company and the client just talk to each other with a very low barrier to entry, say email for instance. But as with all things some do it well and others do it poorly.
I recently experienced what I consider a failed attempt at company client communication. A company I spent money with and will spend money with again gave me a comment card. It was a standard tri-fold 8.5 x 11 brochure type rate us on “blank” feedback document. To my mind they failed in two significant ways. One, they were two faced. Two, they missed a huge opportunity to extend an experience and keep their brand consistent.
One, they were two faced. On the back of the tri-fold there was a nice letter from the president of the company. Then in a space to small for the stamp they stamped something to extent that if you bring the completed survey to the office you will receive 10% off a purchase of $20 or more but I had to squint to read it because it was stamped poorly. Bummer.
Regardless, this stamp tells me that they value feedback but just not that much! They think my feedback is only worth $2 (not bad) but only if I am willing to spend $20 on their crappy stuff they assume I want! That is audacious. It assumes I don’t just want to give them my feedback which people must not because they have to give this crazy incentive in the first place. Why are they doing this… because this is what everyone else does? Why associate a $ amount at all?
Two, a huge opportunity. This place is a condo type cottage rental place. You go there and they have a great product, location, staff that welcomes you, great food and a wonderful atmosphere to eat it in. It is located on the North Shore of Lake Superior, beautyful! They go out of their way to welcome you. They will light your campfire for you. They will bring you schmore supplies without being asked. They will light the sauna fire for you before you go down there when its negative 20 below out! The experience of staying there is one covered in the sense that the staff cares and is paying attention to you and your needs.
They know people drive to their location. They are a destination. So I submit to you that if they really want my advice and yours and they think, for whatever reason, that they need to incentivize us to give it, then I think they should extend their generous and kind and welcoming brand in sending you off. They know most every one has a two hour car ride ahead of them. I submit to you that they should offer a free bottled drink in return for the survey at the time of check out. People don’t care that it is only going to cost the company, at wholesale, 50 cents. They care that the company is looking out for them.
So, I emailed the company this morning. I have yet to hear back. I guess they don’t really care all that much. They are asking for my opinion but not considering me in the act of asking! There is no way that I am going to fill out the survey now that I am home and I would need to pay the postage that they so boldly expect me to pay!
How many of you feel this way about a company you know of and like and will spend money with again? How many of you are bummed? How many of you have the control to be able to change a bad practice in your company?
Tags: customer service, survey, user centered, value creation
