"Our Take" - Dumb Mistakes People Make

(Past Editions by: Date, Title, Topic)

 
About "Our Take" 
"Our Take" is a collection of daily vignettes covering a wide range of CRM topics. It's an attempt to add our own spin to the world of CRM. We will use the column to share our perspectives, opinions, epiphanies, web nuggets, or quite frankly anything that moves us. Get ready to expect the unexpected. And, don't be shy about sharing your thoughts.
 
 
5/14/07 - Communication Mistakes
Last week, I talked the importance of the right communication channel when talking with your customers. In addition, I summarized your input on how to determine the right communication on a customer-by-customer basis.
 
Let's extend the discussion with a question I would like to ask you: What are the biggest mistakes businesses make in communicating with customers? I am looking for a wide range of responses, so if you have never responded to a question in this column, today just might be your day.
 
What dumb things do you see businesses doing in regard to how they communicate, when they communicate and what they communicate to their customers?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/15/07 - Mea Culpa!
Do you listen to your customers? I hope so. Do we? Again, let me say, "I hope so." More importantly, when you fail to deliver the quality of service customers expect, do you acknowledge the mistake and apologize?
 
Yesterday's edition of this column contained a grammatical error that was inexcusable. I deeply regret our lack of quality because it reflects poorly on us. Furthermore, errors like that could be interpreted as uncaring. I want to tell you that is not the case. You, our loyal CRMAdvocate subscribers, are very important to us. In yesterday's column I asked you to share your opinions on how companies mess up. Coincidently, not acknowledging mistakes and not apologizing is one of the top ways businesses mess up.
 
So, let me say again that we made a mistake and "mea culpa." As far as I know, this column is the only CRM 'blog' updated every single business day. I offer that for background only - it is not an excuse for the error. I promise to work harder to deliver better quality on a daily basis. I know that you will keep me honest. Tomorrow, I will share some great findings on how businesses fall short when communicating with customers.
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/16/07 - Owning Up to Mistakes
Yesterday, I discussed the value of admitting when you have wronged your customers as well as the value of apologizing for that mistake. A few readers responded that maybe it isn't always best to fess up. Here's one story that caught my attention:
 
"Do you know what's scary? The CEO of JetBlue was asked to step down due to the February 14th fiasco even though he acknowledged the error, generated viral content on YouTube, established the Customer Bill of Rights and most importantly, took responsibility for the mishap. It cost him his job even with all the damage control. You don't hear many leaders stepping up to the plate and taking accountability. What a shame."
 
Much has been written about the JetBlue failure to adequately manage a situation originally caused by weather. I wouldn't be surprised to see this case study show up at business schools in the very near future. For an outsider like me, it is difficult to know the real or the whole reason for the CEO's job loss. Regardless, I applaud JetBlue for their efforts to address the situation. I think they are a better company for it. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/17/07 - Dumb Mistakes
Earlier this week, I asked for you to share dumb things you see companies do as it relates to communicating with their customers. Over the next few days, I'll share some of those thoughts with you. I think this response speaks for itself:
 
"In a word, most dumb company communication errors are caused by condescension. Marketers assume customers are gullible, if not outright stupid. Take these limp lines: You’ll be doing business with a company you can trust (unless you turn your back). You’ll be assured the quality of our brand (however pathetic that is). You’ll enjoy the convenience of doing business with one company (yeah, we’ll stick both hands in your pockets). We’re on your side (closest to your wallet). And what’s most amazing is that agency copywriters still spew this junk – and with a straight face – as if anyone believes it!"
 
How often do we see a disconnect between the promises of marketing and advertising and the realities of the customer experience via the product and/or services? Do you think the disconnect is typically based in knowledge ("I know I am over-promising") or a lack of understanding ("I really believe we are doing a great job.")?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/18/07 - More Dumb Mistakes
The number and quality of responses on dumb things businesses do when communicating with their customers has been fabulous. And who wins? You do because you can see the collective perspectives (and wisdom) in this column. Yesterday, we talked about condescension and how that pervasive nature reaches out to customers.
 
Today's nugget of wisdom on how businesses mess up in customer communication is also widespread. One reader shares, "I see businesses promoting every product they have to every customer they have all the time. This makes the communication irrelevant and weakens the relationship."
 
To me, this “broadcasting” strategy smacks of an organization that doesn't understand the needs of its customers. It's a sign of laziness suggesting that it is easier to blast all offers to all people rather than tailor messages to the right segments at the right time. It's so old school. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/21/07 - Screaming "I Don't Know You"
Today's message is a different way of saying the same thing featured in this column last week. Specifically, one of the dumb things businesses do is send the same messages/offers to all customers. Why is this dumb? One reader wrote:
 
"In an effort to save money, companies fail to segment the target list to include/exclude the correct clients. Sending a generic message to your most valuable clients screams "I don't know you". The damage? You know that money you thought you were saving? You just lost that by alienating one or more of your most valuable clients."
 
Are there things your business does to scream "I don't know you" to your customers?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/22/07 - You Are Important to Us
Remember the old saying, "Actions speak louder than words?" As we continue to count the dumb things businesses do when communicating with their customers, we would be remiss if we didn't include those famous words, "please hold, you call is important to us."
 
Yeah, right. This ubiquitous call center greeting has become a metaphor meaning that talk is cheap when the actions don't match the words. In general, customers get a very mixed message because they are told they are important but treated quite differently. And, as the saying goes, actions speak louder than words so most customers remember the actions.
 
So how do your company's actions align with the words you use to communicate to your customers? Have you done a "gap analysis" to identify misalignments between your words and actions?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/23/07 - Customer Insanity
It's been said the definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again expecting a different result. In the world of customer management, too often businesses make the same mistakes over and over again, fail to discover the root cause, or once the root cause is identified, fail to make the systemic changes necessary to eliminate the source of the problem.
 
Making the same mistake over and over again is one of the more popular reader contributions to the list of dumb things businesses do when communicating with their customers. You would think that if a problem has been identified and the source of the problem is understood, changes would be made. So often these identified problems are not addressed because the people that identify the problem (front line customer facing employees) have little or no power to make the change.
 
They can forward their observations and evidence to the powers in charge. They can make apologies to the customers. They can even do "make good" offers in hopes of retaining the customer. Good faith efforts like that are great band aids but they do little to stop the bleeding. Do you agree?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)
 
5/24/07 - Are You That Lucky?
Yesterday, we talked about a common business blunder - making the same mistake over and over again because of a failure to eliminate the source of customer experience failures. Indeed, some goodwill can be reclaimed by "make good" offers and efforts. But for how long?
 
Any goodwill earned can be more than permanently lost if the same thing happens to the same customer during a future customer encounter. Of course, you can play the odds that it won't happen but if the cause of the error is systemic, the probability goes way up that the customer will figure out that the error is the rule and not the exception.
 
Many years ago, I saw a study analyzing the number of service errors it takes to lose a customer. Some customers are lost at the first instance. The average is about three instances. And there are some customers that will stick with you even if you mess up a dozen times in a row. Is that loyalty or customer laziness? Perhaps you have a monopoly and the customer has no choice? Are you that lucky?
 
Gary Lemke, Publisher
(Share your thoughts)