Customer Service: Not A Given

Last week I spoke with someone who said his customers don’t know what they want. That statement may be partially true but what he is missing is that his customers’ perceptions are their realities. Like it or not.

If it’s broken to you, it’s broken.
Seth Godin

I had an interesting exchange with my Cable/Internet provider a couple of weeks ago because I miscalculated last month’s bill by $31.59 which garnered a rude call from their collections department.

I have been their customer for more than twenty years and they are on me like dirt over thirty-one bucks. I told the person he had about 15 seconds to convince me not to take my business to the competitor.

His response was underwhelming and I hung up the phone then paid the difference. Twenty years and I am treated like a delinquent. To me, they are broken.

Marketing Is A Promise, Not A Campaign

So all the well thought out marketing and advertising campaigns were tossed out for the sake of a miscalculation. Because I screwed up some math, they broke their promise.

It may be difficult to grasp, but people will often pay more for something that works and something that is superior. Price is not the only deciding factor – remember shareware?

They Solved My Problem

I had a hefty bill recently from my local tire and brake place. It was my fault that I had let it go so long and not their fault that new tires and brakes were $2500. The entire exchange was enjoyable.

As I paid the bill they reminded me to bring my car back every 10,000 miles to get my tires rotated for free and it would be ready as soon as Ralph put it through the car wash. And important to note, the people working in this garage get along well and help each other constantly. You want to give these guys your business.

My perception was not that they tried to gouge me for tires and brakes, my experience made me tell everyone to go there if they ever need their car serviced.

Lessons Learned?

So I am mad at one company for hounding me over $31.59 and happy to promote another company that charged me $2500. By the way, the car drives like new and my hi-speed internet service is still sporadic most days.

Perception is reality and nothing you can do will change that.

Which company best describes your company?

@knealemann

Eyes On The Road

A business that makes nothing but money is a poor business.
Henry Ford

While discussing competitive situations, a mentor once said, “When you're driving in a snowstorm, stay in your lane!” His point was that just because a competitor takes a run at you, that is not enough of a reason to flinch. That is safe advice.

But is 'safe' the new 'risk'?

Yesterday I received direct mail pieces from my internet/cable provider and from my land line phone provider. My phone company is now offering satellite cable packages, wireless devices and deals on mini laptops with sign-up. My cable company is now offering wireless devices and home phone line services.

Competition brings out the best in products
and the worst in people. David Sarnoff

So the cable people are now in the phone business and the phone people are now selling computers. And both are trying to sell me the ultimate all-in-one-bundle.

What Do You Do?

This is a story of two companies driving in a snowstorm. The cable company is taking shots at said phone company and chipping away at their land land business as well as going toe-to-toe with them on wireless and internet. This is a war with brightly produced four-color shiny pamphets and dangling carrots.

Who is the winner?

On the surface, it would appear to be the customer. As one who has dealings with both companies, the honeymoon is brief and the next victim is always the target.

You can fool all the people all the time if the advertising is right
and the budget is big enough. Joseph E. Levine

Visibility in this snowstorm is not the issue because everyone seems to want to be in every lane. The question remains whether they can still see customer service in the rear view mirror.

It is an immutable law in business that words are words, explanations are explanations, promises are promises but only performance is reality. Harold Geneen

Special offers, one-time deals, gifts with purchase all pale in comparison to giving cutomers stuff that actually works.

Is it good to stay in your lane?
When is it time overtake someone in theirs?

Not-So-Common Sense Revolution

"The philosophy of one century is the common sense of the next."
Henry Ward Beecher

As we all take a long look at all that we do, it has made us realize our strengths. If you haven't done this yet, it a worthy exercise.

Many media and entertainment colleagues are hanging on - in some cases - for dear life. And in other cases, there is a bright future.

But it got me thinking about common sense and status quo. We put things in boxes, we over analyze lowest common denominator and seek averages to keep us all happy. We don't rock any boats and if we step out there is a fear that our lack of conformity will get us into trouble. And we certainly wouldn't want to run the risk that someone may not like what we do, would we? Yawn.

"It is a thousand times better to have common sense without education than to have education without common sense."
Robert Green Ingersol

The music industry was rested on many pillars that were deemed true for far too long. The genie has crushed the bottle.

The publishing industry is going through radical change and consumers are driving this bus as well.

Newspaper outlets will survive and thrive again but a completely new mind set must occur or they can blame no one but themselves.

"Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen."
Albert Einstein

The phrase "common sense" should be stricken from our vernacular. It has caused mediocrity, laziness, assumption, arrogance and many other deadly sins. What is common and makes sense to you is where it stops.

"Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are, and doing things as they ought to be done."
Harriet Beecher Stowe

This is not to say you and I may agree on virtually everything but we must look at the massive changes media is a going through to realize this can play in to your advantage.

So perhaps have another look your experience and your abilities with a fresh perspective. Don't throw anything away or assume what you know or what you have done is "common sense".

What are your thoughts?
What are your stories?
What is your common sense?

km

The Evolution of Content

The three words I use a lot are: content, context and community. Words that roll off the tongue and sound kinda cute but they are – in my opinion – essential to most of the stuff we do, create, consumer and share.

We All Have A Voice
Technorati estimates there are about 150 million blogs in the world – that number is probably low. Anyone with a laptop and an internet connection has the ability to create content and discussion starters.

There are no interviews, no one will vet you, your resume will not be scrutinized, and you may gain a sizeable audience for what you have to say.

Toys Toys Toys
The Consumer Electronics Show is on right now in Las Vegas and while the throng gawk and point and touch and fiddle with all the coolest latest stuff, the challenge remains that we need stuff to put on all these toys.

Content comes in all shapes and sizes and sounds and tastes. It’s all too overwhelming for any of us to get a handle on what is available.

You Have To Be Good
A musician without good songs can have the nicest guitar on the market and it doesn’t matter. You can spend thousands on a Hi-Def plasma surround sound system but you still need quality content or all you have are more dust collectors.

The challenge is not content – it is quality content. Quantity is a word usually reserved for items that hold no emotional value and the lowest price will usually win the day. It’s okay to search for the best price on bathroom tissue but not when you are selecting a new cell phone.

Choice Is Everywhere
I would never suggest that we don’t have gobs of excellent choices available to us. Great music is being made, top-notch movies are being produced, bright minds are finding a space in the blogosphere and the world of podcasts, and the cable companies are providing a wide choice of shows.

And if you are in the area, you should check out Podcamp Toronto February 21 and 22nd.

While we continue to feed our seemingly endless appetite for the newest and shiniest gadgets, it’s important for us to spend an equal amount of time on the content that goes on these things.

What are your thoughts?

km

The Cable World is Changing

This week, the Canadian Radio Television and Telecommunications Commission announced that it plans to allow satellite and cable content providers and suppliers the right to revamp their revenue models.

In a recent Globe & Mail article, reporter Grant Robertson writes; “A plan being put in place by federal regulators will let cable and satellite distributors offer up commercial time - something they were previously prevented from doing - on U.S. cable channels carried in Canada, such as CNN, MSNBC, Fox News and others.”

I’ve been in the media for a long time and sadly my brethren are reluctant to embrace change or worse yet something foreign. For instance, of all the great cable channels in the U.S., it is only now that Canadians can have access to HBO. We are expecting running water and paved streets any day now.

If you are in Canada, you may have noticed local commercials on American networks. That’s called “commercial substitution” or “local avails”. The new and more relaxed rule stipulates that the cable provider may no longer be the only stop for advertisers to go. If you want your local commercials on CNN, you may be able to buy the airtime directly from the content providers.

Robertson adds; “In cases where the shows are provided by a Canadian broadcaster, the distributor must work out a deal to share the money. But if the cable company starts buying shows directly from the producer - something Rogers Communications has done in the past for its on-demand channel - it pockets all the money.”

I am not being glib when I say that these things take time, it is important because as many have mentioned this week the rules will be near impossible to reverse. I guess I'm still innocent after all these years to think that the focus should be more on content creation than the aging content-commercials-content model. There are better ways to tell stories through fully integrated models and product plots.

More on that tomorrow.

km

p.s. I received a excellent comment about a recent posting from Keith on the west coast. Thank-you, Keith! For some reason your comment disappeared. Technology at work again.

The Choice Is Ours

Recently a friend sent me an article about the future of television and the growing success of cable or specialty outlets.

I have always been fascinated by the never ending shift in what I call 'The 3 T’s': Tastes, Trends, and Technology. And what is most fascinating is the egg and chicken are ever present.

Does technology create new trends? Do audience tastes create demand for new technology? Do trends simply morph to whatever is available?

Ten years ago, there were no iPods. Now, Apple owns over 70% of the market in portable mp3 players. Did we need a portable music device that plays thousands of downloaded songs? No, but we don’t need chocolate ice cream either. Okay ...bad examples ;-)

It’s hilarious when a sensational story hits the news cycle – editors and producers scream on their boxes of soap about the public's need to know. Designers will spout the need to satisfy consumer pressure for new gadgets and advancements. Who creates this desire for the new shiny thing? Us or Them?

I like options, I’m sure you do too. But the next time you’re in an electronics store frozen with indecision over the azure or vermillion ear buds, mouth breathing at the Google screen, or frozen in front of the plasma for something to watch …remember, we may have asked for this.

km