There are some things in life that are just bare necessities, and one of those things (for those who care about wrinkles) are beauty products.
Now. I was big fan of Sally Hansen but that product does not exist in Italy. So one day, when my stock ran out, I sent an e-mail requesting either a shipment or to suggest where I could buy Sally Hansen.
Well...they never wrote back. And now I'm a devote customer of Nivea who, unlike Sally Hansen, actually got back to me.
And that is how customer loyalty goes nowadays. Just like Vicky Tamaru says in "Why Conversational Marketing Requires Fundamental Business Change" there should be conversations with your customers that are on-going and two-way in order to keep your customers satified. I mean, what is marketing about after all? If I remember correctly my Marketing classes always stressed that we should attend to the customers NEEDS in order to SATISFY their WANTS. And I wanted Sally Hansen, wasn't satisfied, so I found an alternative.
And about alternatives...Randall Stross in his article, "How Many Reviwers should be in the Kitchen" talked about Yelp and customers reviewing their products. I think it's great! Customers should interact with other customers and with their product or serivice. It's just like Cibando in Italy. You get reviews, a menu list for the restaurants and even discounts!
So on that note, thank you Microsoft for telling me why my computer was mulfunctioning last year and that it was actually a bug. Thank you Nivea for telling me where to buy your daytime moisturizing lotion. Thank you, Cibando for being such a great food guru.
Hahaha I totally agree, like I said..there is nothing that gets my blood boiling like being ignored and disregarded by a large corporation. Like what..do they think that I am not good enough? That one customer doesn't make a difference? Reality check- if that's how they treat all of their customers then they won't be in business much longer.
ReplyDeleteGreat post. PS. LOVE NIVEA. I tell everyone about it, it really is the bessssssssssst!
To play devil's advocate, corporations can get large, complex, and more likely to have customers fall through the cracks, but some corporations underestimate the value of a single satisfied - or dissatisfied - customer.
ReplyDeleteWord of mouth is a powerful marketing tool, and it doesn't cost a penny. Companies essentially control how people react about their customer service and products. Just look at this blog post - we're being told opinions about Nivea and Sally Hansen. Nivea seized a valuable opportunity, while Sally Hansen dropped it.
Do you want my feedback Alex?
ReplyDeleteAnd will you answer me ? Otherwise I'm afraid I won't be faithfull and turn myself toward other friends. LOL
Anyway, great post and I loved your pict !