This beautiful sign now hangs in the world headquarters of Cross Media, and I thought you might like to hear its story.
People who’ve mourned the death of someone dear know what a thrill it is to receive an unexpected reminder of their loved one. After our grandpa Poppy died, Nanny let each of us grandkids pick out one of the flannel shirts from his closet to keep. I wear mine still, holding close the memory of Poppy flyfishing on a Colorado mountain stream in an Orvis plaid shirt and his well-worn fishing vest. Our neighbor Bill told us tearfully this week that a stranger had just contacted him to share the story of how Bill’s father had saved his life during the invasion of Normandy. He smiled through the tears and said it was the best Christmas present he’d ever received.
I understand. Through the wonders of Facebook, we keep in touch with the delightful family that bought Dad’s house after his death. They regale their online friends with tales of the old house’s quirks, and share photos of their kids playing in the yard. It’s oddly comforting to stay connected with Dad’s former house. Facebook can be a mixed bag, but when the husband, Brent, sends a message asking if we’d like to have the “Cross” sign Dad made for the house, I’m ecstatic. We arrange to meet near highway I-25 the next time Brent comes to Denver.
I call my sister to share the news and discuss what we should do with the sign; she and I have plenty of experience in divvying up Dad’s stuff. Unlike some families you hear about who end up in court over the process, we have reverse non-arguments that go like this: “Dad would want you to have this lamp; please, you take it.” “No, it would look perfect in your living room; I want you to have it. Really.” Anyway, we talk about the sign and she insists that I should have it. I want her to have it. We banter back and forth and reach a compromise. “I’ll take it for a little while,” I say, “and then you can have it for a while.” A few days later read more…
Poor Twitter – the Misunderstood Black Sheep of Social Media (and why that equals opportunity for you)
I had lunch last week with a colleague from a marketing company. She is one of the most creative thinkers I know, so I was surprised when our conversation turned to social media and she said, “I just don’t get Twitter. I’m sorry, but I’m not interested in a bunch of people posting little messages about what they ate for breakfast.”
This morning, I read the online bio of a principal at an agricultural company who had this to say about Twitter: ”Twitter cultivates an Attention-Deficit-Disorder society of obsessive info-junkies who cram their lives with so much superfluity that two-sentence blips are all that they can digest before moving onto the next bright-n-shiny distraction. It just seems kind of dopey to me.”
What’s ironic is that Twitter can potentially be one of the most rewarding and effective social media outlets available today. Unlike Facebook and MySpace which are all about me, me, me, Twitter at its best is more about “here’s something that might interest YOU.” Twitter, more than any other form of social media today, seems to attract more users who are interested in contributing to the greater good and helping/sharing with others.
Yes, there are spammers and MLMers on Twitter, easily identified because they follow you and post messages like “Just deposited my weekly commission check – how kool!” or “Are there any cute guys out there who wanna chat?” But there are also plenty of really amazing people on Twitter sharing blogs, ideas, photos, information, videos, research, articles, essays, discoveries, experiences, questions – and answers, lots of answers.
Media mogul Martha Stewart was reportedly initially hesitant about Twitter but today has more than a million followers. “It’s pretty phenomenal, and I’m quite astonished at the ease with which you can get a following like that in this day and age,” she told New York Times columnist David Carr. She, too, acknowledges Twitter’s value as a vehicle for useful information. ““People will get bored if you only use [Twitter] to sell,” she says. “I think they won’t get bored if you use it to inform.”
Clearly, social media can be an important component to a well-rounded marketing plan. If you’re curious about how Twitter can play a useful role in your promotional efforts, let’s talk.
The next time you need a conversation-starter at a cocktail party, here’s a foolproof topic. Simply bring up the subject of bad customer service and see if everyone in the group doesn’t have a doozy of a tale to share. For instance, I recently cancelled my Vonage VOIP phone service. My decision had nothing to do with the company, its product, or its service; I just wasn’t using the extra phone line since my clients tend to call me on my mobile phone; the Vonage line had maybe rung a dozen times in a year. I double-checked the terms on the Vonage web site and read that a $39.99 fee was charged if the service was cancelled before one year of the order date. No problem; I was cancelling after the one year period so I made the call.
I expected the voice mail maze trying to guide me to any other option except speaking with a human. I expected the foreign call center, the friendlybut hard-to-understand representative, the canned script she read, and her repeated attempts to keep me from ending the service. What I didn’t expect was her announcement that the company was, indeed, still going to charge me a $39.99 cancellation fee even though more than a year had passed. When I protested, she explained that newer customers can cancel after a year with no disconnect fee, but customers who signed up prior to May 29, 2009 have to wait 2 years to cancel without a fee. Ah, now I understood! New customers don’t pay, but your more loyal, long-term customers do pay.
Last week, my good friend Laura Fallbach needed to return an item she had purchased online from Abercrombie and Fitch. She read the fine print (seriously, 4-point type) on the company’s website but couldn’t find a customer service number to call regarding a return. She called the local retail store, and was told that A&F now handles those types of service issues exclusively by e-mail. Still not believing, she called the A&F order line (yes, they will still accept your order by telephone) and was told that she would have to write out her customer service issue in an e-mail; there is no actual person you can talk to about a return. When she finally acquiesced and sent her inquiry by e-mail, how long did it take for customer service to respond? A cool 3 days. In fact, A&F made the MSN Money’s Customer Service Hall of Shame list this year, and the article reports that sales are down 30%.
If it seems like every company from the airlines to the cable company to your bank is trying to stick you with extra fees, and if you feel like great customer service is becoming as rare as a herd of unicorns — take heart. In an uncertain economy, big companies sometimes make budget cuts and seek revenue gains in unhealthy places. Small businesses, on the other hand, can seize this opportunity to take a pro-customer, superlative-service approach and gain new business and happy, loyal customers.
It’s easy to get caught up in all the technological advances and time-saving devices our modern world offers, but savvy business owners remember that in the end, it’s still all about the customer. Especially now, the personal, human touch wins out over the automated response every time….which would make another great cocktail party topic.
Do you have any stories of exemplary–or atrocious–customer service you’d like to share? I bet you do, and I’d love to hear from you.
