Customers/Clients

Things are not rosy at FTD!

February 16, 2011

Happy Valentine’s Day?

Like many of you probably did, I grabbed a couple of the Groupon deals for FTD to help manage the Valentine’s Day floral budget.  (Yes, I gave some local florists my money too)

Let me say this — I feel sorry for any business that has killer days like florists do.  I am sure Valentine’s Day is a nightmare for them.  However… it’s not like it’s a big surprise.  So they should be ready for it, right?

When one of the arrangements I had ordered hadn’t arrived at 7 pm, I called their 800 number.  The first message I got was that they were very busy and it would be 15 minutes before I could speak with someone.  Then, a couple minutes later, the recorded voice came back on the line and said, due to the volume of calls and it being Valentine’s Day, they would not be able to answer my call and promptly disconnected me.

Wow.

I called back and held for over 30 minutes. Somehow, I dodged the hang-up.  I have no idea how long I would have continued to wait — I got word that the flowers had finally arrived and so I hung up.

Not a good day for FTD.  But wait…

This morning, the flowers are wilted.  I am talking D-E-A-D.  Even with the coupon, they were $50 so I call the 800 number.  This is really how the conversation went.

FTD guy:  How may I help you?

Drew:  I ordered flowers that were delivered yesterday and this morning, they are all wilted.

FTD guy:  I am very sorry to hear that Sir.

Drew:  Thank you.  What can we do about it?

FTD guy:  May I have the order number?

Drew:  FRK372912

FTD guy:  May I have your full name?

Drew:  Drew McLellan

FTD guy:  Thank you, Mr. McLellan. May I have your billing address?

Drew : I give him the address.

FTD guy:  Thank you Mr. McLellan.  May I have your phone number?

Drew:  I give him the phone number.

FTD guy:  Thank you Mr. McLellan.  May I have the recipient’s name?

Drew:  I give him the name.

FTD guy:  Thank you Mr. McLellan. May I have the recipient’s address?

Drew:  I don’t have it handy.

FTD guy:  I’m sorry Mr. McLellan but I am trying to verify the order.

Drew:  Wait a second — I have told you the order number, my name, address, phone number and the recipient’s name.  Isn’t that enough information to verify the order?

FTD guy:  I really do need to verify the order, Mr. McLellan.  (by now…we’ve had enough Mr. McLellans)

Drew:  Seriously — you think there might be two orders with the identical order number, buyer and recipient?  You are looking at the order on your computer, aren’t you?

FTD guy:  Yes Mr. McLellan, I am.

Drew:  Have I gotten any of the questions wrong yet?

FTD guy:  No, Mr. McLellan.  Should I wait while you get the recipient’s address?

Insanity.  Pure insanity. This is a man who is following a script, no matter how ridiculous it is.  He doesn’t care about my order, my frustration or my repeat business. (I kept wondering how call center expert Tom Vander Well would react to this.)

I told him I didn’t have the address with me and couldn’t get it.  Yes, I was being churlish.  But come on.  So you know what he made me do to finally verify the order?  I will send flowers to the first correct guesser.  (But not from FTD)

My point — when something goes wrong, you have a huge opportunity to win a customer for life. (read how Disney says I’m sorry) But you don’t get a second chance.  You cannot add insult to the injury.   FTD lost more than my $50.  They lost the chance to begin to create a love affair with me.  That cost them a lot more than $50.

Related articles

• Groupon, FTD give refunds on flower deal after complaints (boston.com)
• Groupon users revolt against FTD (money.cnn.com)
• ARA: Did your FTD arrangement not arrive yesterday? (timesunion.com)

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Learn why we unthink

February 9, 2011

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Marketing tip #56: Walk a mile in their moccasins

February 8, 2011

I believe this is one of those marketing tips that we all nod our heads at and think, “gosh, I should do that one of these days” but really rarely get around to doing.

We get so caught up in our processes and getting the job done that we forget that we’re doing it “to” and “with” a human being.  And those pesky human beings sometimes need a little hand holding or explanation — especially if they’re new to the task.

It’s so easy to get frustrated with yet another question or request that takes you off “the path of the plan.”  But honestly — if you find yourself reacting that way — then shame on you.  Yes…shame on you.

If a customer is pushing back, or asking more questions or seems unable to pull the trigger it’s because you left something unexplained.  The more firmly you dig in your heels and hold them to the process, the more unsure they feel.  Which just leads to…yup, more questions and concern.  It’s an ugly cycle.

I’m reminded of this truth as we work with a new vendor to McLellan Marketing Group.  While they’re quite good at what they do, they have the customer service skills of a grumpy drunk.  I have often found myself wondering if they have any concept of what it’s like to work with them.  My guess is… no.

Our experience with them has me very mindful of how we’re treating our own clients.  Are we taking the time to really walk out the next steps with them?  Are we in tune with their hesitations or worries?  Do we dismiss their concerns or ideas because “we know” what’s right?  And do we even bother to explain the why?

I find myself wanting to be able to experience us… as a new client.  What do they see and hear?  Do they feel welcome and important?  Or do they feel rushed and confused?  Are our procedures confusing?  Our bills clear?  Our gratitude evident?

We can’t step into their shoes, but we can ask for their feedback.  We can be more mindful of how it must feel from their position.  In our quest to create love affairs with our customers — this would seem to me to be pivotal.

How about you?  How do you balance conducting business in a way that is efficient and effective with customer care?  How do you stay in touch with what it’s like to do business with you?

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Using personas to shift your focus to the customer

January 31, 2011

If you look at most marketing copy — it's about the "thing" — whatever is being sold.  We get features and generic benefits but our focus and the thrust of the message sits squarely on the shoulders of the product or service.

And it's no wonder.  When you focus on something, you tend to write/talk about it.

Let's demonstrate.

If I asked you to write a headline for an ad selling these red shoes to the right — what would your headline say?

(Seriously, take a couple minutes and jot a few down…play along!)

Okay, for many of you your headlines probably ran along the lines of:

• Isn't it time to get sassy?  
• Give your feet some sassy for Valentine's Day 
• Stop traffic without lifting a finger

Nothing wrong with those…but they are a bit generic.  They be be speaking to anyone of any age, income bracket, marital status, etc.

Why?  Because we don't actually know who we're talking to…other than we probably assumed it was a woman, so the copy tends to be generic.  The more generic your audience (in your mind) the more generic the copy.  Which forces us to focus on the "thing."

Which is why personas are so critical to your marketing success.  Do you know who your business is talking to?  And don't say everyone.  Every business should know who their best customers are.  These are the people who create the core of your customer base.  Creating personas based on this customer base is critical to targeting your message.  I wrote about personas and shared some examples a few years back. (click on the link to read).

Let's try the shoe example again but now I'm going to tell you about the customer.  Her name is Leslie and she's 15.  She's in that awkward half girl/half woman stage and she wants to grow up so badly.  She's a good kid, active in school and loves to hang at the mall with her friends.  She spends much of her free time texting, reading fashion magazines and watching MTV's reality shows.  

I could add (and should if this was a real persona) much more depth but you get the idea. Now try your headline again.

Mine might be:  Your dad is going to hate these shoes

Very specific and very much about my audience — rather than about the product.  That's what personas do.  They shift our focus to the prospect rather us talking about ourselves.  You can't create a love affair with a generic customer.  Getting to know your personas and really seeing them as a living, breathing person 

Using personas is a very helpful trick for writing stronger copy, creating content that gets shared, developing customer service programs, making your website sticky and driving sales.  If you haven't developed 3-4 personas for your brand — put it on your to do list for Q1 of 2011.  It will make the rest of the Q's 

P.S. If you want more info on personas, Marketing Profs is doing a webinar on February 10th specifically about the topic.  

 

Related articles

• Saturday Morning Reads: Personas… Do you really know your customers? (theharteofmarketing.com)
• Your Buyer's Personas (marketingconversation.com)
• How to write to your dream persona (insights-group.com)

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Do you know who you’re selling to?

January 27, 2011

Selling isn't a one size fits all proposition.  I'm not telling you anything new when I say — the more you know about your prospect, the better the experience for all concerned.

We've all read the sales books that talk about being observant when you walk into someone's office.  You know — noting that they have pictures of their Irish Setter, their golf outings and their twin boys on their desk — you strike up conversations about those interests and make a connection between you and the prospect.

That's all well and good but especially if you have a product/service with a long sales cycle you'd better know who they are long before you step foot in their office. 

RainToday ran a very smart article that talked about the 8 buyer personas. (click on the link to read) The article describes each personas' personality and how to best sell to them. Well worth the read. You will meet:

• Decisive Danielle
• Collaborative Claire
• Relationship Renee
• Skeptical Steve
• Gradual Greg
• Warp 9 Walt
• Analytical Al
• Innovator Irene

But for many of us — in this world of social media, consumer driven content and a 24/7 world — we start talking to our customers before they're even on the radar screen as a customer.  They're aware of us long before we're aware of them.

How do you make sure you're talking to them about what matters?  One of my favorite ways is to create personas…not based on their buying style but based on who they are and what they care about.  I wrote about that, using this blog as an example several years ago. (click on the link to read)

I have to tell you, as this blog has grown and gained more attention — I still write for Ian, Erin and Patrick with every post.  And I'm guessing you are very much like one of them or you wouldn't keep coming back.

Keep in mind what selling is all about. (or at least my opinion of what it's all about) It's about putting yourself out there as you genuinely are and inviting people in for a look.  If you attract the right people — they'll buy.

As I said in the opening paragraph — the more you know about your prospects, the better the experience.  Part of what makes that experience good is that you aren't trying to sell ice to eskimos.  You're attracting the right kinds of buyers — people and companies who truly need or want what you sell.  You don't have to ram it down their throats.  People hate being sold to — but they want to buy.

Use both versions of personas (mine and RainToday's) to have a good, honest conversation with the right prospects.  Talk about them, what they care about, and where they need some help.  

Then, be ready to make the sale.

Remember — RainToday is closing their Selling Consulting Services course on Friday, January 28th. You can check it out here.  Once you click the link, you can also download their free report (whether you sign up for the course or not) The New Rules of Selling Consulting Services in 2011.

Full Disclosure: While RainToday has offered to pay me a small commission if anyone signs up for the course, I am sharing this with you because I think you’ll find tremendous value in it. Otherwise, I wouldn't put your trust on the line.

 

Related articles

• Buyer Personas are critical, Mr./Ms. CEO (customerthink.com)
• Your Buyer's Personas (marketingconversation.com)

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Marketing tip # 32: People are like sheep

January 8, 2011

My agency, McLellan Marketing Group's, bank has a branch near our house, so I am usually the official "deposit the checks" guy at our company.

Like most bank drive throughs, they have a commercial lane on the far left and then several "everybody and anybody" lanes to the right of that.  The branch I go to is no exception.  Except that their drive through isn't straight — it's curved to the right.  

So already my car needs to be at an angle to reach the commercial window.  Add to that, they've installed a big pole so drivers don't get too close to the building and damage their cars or the building.

The net result of this is… their commercial window is a pain.  I can never get quite close enough to the drawer (even when it's fully extended) to comfortably put something in it or take out my receipt.  More than once on a windy day, the receipt has fluttered off and I have had to chase it through their parking lot.

We have banked at this particular institution for several years and I have probably been in that drive through a few hundred times.  Every time, I grumble to myself about how much I hate the drive through experience.  But, I endure it.

I take pride in the fact that I'm a bit rebellious.  That I don't always follow the path well taken.  That my 7th grade teacher told me I was incorrigible, even though looking back I am pretty sure she didn't mean it as a compliment.  My point being — I don't think of myself as someone who is afraid to question or disregard rules on occasion.

Which is why this story is embarrassing to tell.

The other day, as I yet again approached the drive through, FOR THE FIRST TIME, it occurred to me that I didn't need to use the commercial lane.  I could use any of the drive through lanes…and the rest of them are straight and utilize the tube/chute thing rather than a drawer with a paperweight in it.  

I pulled into one of the "everybody and anybody" lanes and had a lovely drive through experience.  Duh!

For years, years mind you, I have been gritting my teeth and enduring the frustrating lane.  All because it had a sign over it that said "commercial" and we're a commercial customer.

My point in telling you this story?

Human beings, even incorrigible ones, typically do as they're told.  We are all, even me, rule followers by nature.  We want to get it right.

From a marketing perspective — this is wonderful news.  Couldn't you use this truth in selling and improving the customer experience?  For example:

~ On your website, use this truth to control how people navigate through.  Use prescriptive commands on buttons to guide them exactly where you want them to go so they don't have to click around looking for something.

~In your bricks and mortar establishment — use signage and other prompts (Disney uses different colored walkways and other tricks) to drive traffic in the right direction and to show a customer when they've strayed off path.

~ In a B2B environment, using checklists and other guides to prompt clients to advance through a project faster and more accurately (good for you and for them).  

Bottom line — while it may not be the most flattering of human truths, the fact that people are a bit sheep-like can actually help you create a better (and maybe even WOM buzz worthy) experience for your customers.  

But, as in the case of our bank — you can also inadvertently create a bad experience too.  So…be mindful of the prompts you've already created.  Do some of them need tweaking?

 

 

 

 

Related articles

• Customer Experience Management: Past, Present and Future (customerthink.com)
• Brand alignment – are all the cogs in synch? (mclellanmarketing.com)

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Could being remarkable really be this simple?

December 23, 2010

As you may know, I am a Disneyophile.  I love the Disney parks, I love the Disney movies' happy endings, I love the unrelenting pursuit of better customer service that drives Disney to their own level of excellence.

I also love Walt Disney's story.  

I know he wasn't perfect by a long shot.  But he was a dreamer, a story teller and a man who believed so strongly in his own vision that he ignited the people around him until they were as caught up in the dream as he was.  And despite being told no about a million times — he just keep at it until his dream came to be.

But if you've studied his life like I have, you discover that his philosophies are incredibly simple.  And in that simplicity, incredibly profound.

When asked how to build a successful business, he replied:

"Do what you do so well that they will want to see it again and bring their friends."  

Pretty much sums up referral selling, word of mouth marketing, and customer retention all in one sentence.  And in the end — isn't Walt talking about creating a love affair with your customers?

Do you think we make it too complicated?  Do you think Walt was right? Is that really all there is to it?

 

 

 

Related articles

• 3-Minute WOM Lesson: 3 simple conversation starters (gaspedal.com)
• Andy's Answers: The 3 reasons people talk about you (smartblogs.com)
• Word-of-Mouth Marketing: How It's Connected With Social Media (mindjumpers.com)

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Creating love affairs: You can’t buy their love

November 23, 2010

In our ongoing pursuit of creating love affairs with your customers, I wanted to share a recent experience.

If you're a regular reader, you know that I am:

• A frequent traveler
• A wee bit impatient
• All about efficiency

So it shouldn't surprise you that I have my travel routine down to a science.  I can pack for any trip in less than 10 minutes.

I own a TSA approved messenger bag so I don't have to take my laptop out when I got through security.  I always wear slip on shoes.

And I just ordered TSA approved belts so I can scoot through the scanner without having to de and re-belt.  (or accidentally dropping trou.)

When the belts from www.BeepFreeProducts.com arrived, I was pretty pumped to open the package.  This was the final tweak to my travel ensemble.  (I know… I can't help it. Don't judge me!)  But when I dug past the packaging, I found more than the belts.  

There was also a handwritten post it note thanking me for my order and saying that they'd included a couple extra belt buckles so I'd have some variety to choose from. (see the photo)

On a simple post it note.  Nothing pre-printed, nothing fancy.  Just a note from Jim.

It probably cost him 2 minutes to jot the note.  But I felt the love.  Why?

It was unexpected: This was my first order from the company so I had no real expectations.  I hadn't spent a huge amount of money and they don't have a super sexy website, product etc.  So I wasn't expecting the creativity and the personal touch.

It was personal: If it had been a pre-printed card, it probably wouldn't have been as memorable or noteworthy.  He addressed the note to me, not "dear customer or sir." Whether it's true or not, I felt like Jim really did want me to have those extra buckles.  He really cared that I could mix and match my buckles. 

Another example of this is www.TheMemStore.com.  They sell memory chips.  Tough to imagine anything that is more of a commodity than that.  But, with every order, they include a couple suckers.  Yes, lollipops.  Think it is silly?  Google AND lollipops and see all the mentions and links.  Do you really think people would be writing about the company they buy memory chips from, if it weren't for the suckers? 

Many people believe that creating a lasting love affair with your customers is going to be incredibly expensive.  It doesn't have to be.  In fact, you can't buy their love.

If you try too hard or it feels like you are throwing money at it, rather than throwing your heart into it, it will backfire.

Instead of them feeling your love, they'll feel a little cheap, Ike you think they can be bought.  But let Jim's post it note remind us all that it's the heart that counts, not the cost.

 

Related articles

• Standing Up to the TSA (lewrockwell.com)
• TSA vs. travelers – Chicago Tribune (news.google.com)
• TSA: The agency Americans love to hate (capitolhillblue.com)

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Marketing tip #81: Do you know what they notice?

November 11, 2010

You probably bust a hump (and a decent budget) getting your prospects to notice you.  

You study the demographics and know who your target market is.  You are an expert in your industry.  Your product/service is exceptional.  Your marketing materials are professionally produced and tested well with the focus groups.

You got all of the big things right.

And you still may have it wrong.  

So often, it's not about the big things.  It's about the details.  The tiny little thing that becomes the deal breaker or the deal maker.  

Let me give you an example.  My daughter is a high school senior and due to a lot of hard work on her part, a very successful student. As a result, she's being aggressively pursued by many colleges.  

The mailbox is bulging every day with stunning four color brochures.  She is receiving letters inviting her to bypass the regular application process and guarantees of academic scholarships of significance.  

No argument — all of these things are the right things.  But she isn't noticing.  

What's she's noticing is that one school seems to hold her in even higher esteem.  Because they send handwritten notes.  They take the time to attach a personal message on the drama page of their brochure because she's a drama kid.  They send postcards telling her what's happening on campus that she might enjoy.

We toss around words like authentic and transparent.  But you know what — it's a lot easier to talk about than it is to actually do.  It takes a lot of time to get the little things right. And you have to be able to sustain it.

So here's the question — what little thing could you do that they would notice?  And do you want their business badly enough to commit to doing it?

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Are you asking the right questions?

November 10, 2010

I mentioned The Conference Board's Senior Marketing Executive Conference a few weeks ago.  Today, at the pre-conference workshop conducted by John Carroll, SVP at Synovate's Customer Experience group, the discussion revolved around tracking your customer's experience and tying the research data to changing behaviors.

So we started talking about customer surveys and how most often, companies default to the standard questions.  Satisfaction levels, rate this or that on a scale of 1-5.  John pulled out a hotel survey where they literally had 3 questions on the shower head (seriously — the dispersion of the water?).

We either ask questions that are too vague and nebulous or we drill down to the wrong details.  We then got into the intriguing idea of building your survey around the goal of changing a specific behavior.

For example, Whirlpool recognized that when people went to buy big appliances, they often went to a big box store (Home Depot, Lowes etc.) and that those salespeople were often influenced by whatever manufacturer spiff (a monetary reward for selling a specific brand or item) happened to be in play.  So Whirlpool wanted to encourage their prospective buyers to overrule a salesperson's recommendation, if it wasn't a Whirlpool product

When they started designing their survey around these types of very specific (not buy more Whirlpool) prescribed behaviors, they had an element that was real and measurable.  They also had a very tangible goal.  Now they could get very strategic in thinking through how to move that specific needle.

Interestingly, in the end, the strategy they came up with is that they used marketing dollars to put Whirlpool salespeople on the big box store floors.  They found that most people didn't feel knowledgeable enough to override the influential salesperson.  So they brought in their own.  Whirlpool execs admitted they wouldn't have considered that as an option, if it weren't for the focus in the research.

So here are a few questions for you to chew on today:

• What very specific, measurable behavior (not buy more, recommend me more etc) do you want your prospects to engage in?
• What types of survey questions could you ask to measure that?
• What marketing strategy could you employ to influence that behavior?

 

Related articles

• Andy's Answers: How Whirlpool creates a consistent brand voice in social media (smartblogs.com)
• Strategies That Companies use to Build a Customer Retention Program (thinkup.waldenu.edu)

Note: I'm at this event as an invited guest because they thought I'd find the topics of interest and relevant to you.  While I'm under no obligation to write a single word, if the rest of the speakers are as thought provoking, you'll hear more about it!  Stay tuned.

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