Marketing with Technology and More

More on Great Customer Service from ProFlowers

If you read my earlier post about customer service at ProFlowers, and the great way they handled it when they goofed on one of my orders, there is an update.  Today, I received the following:

The Art of Fresher Flowers' is not just a motto, it's our mission. That's why we want to take this opportunity to offer our most sincere apologies that the bouquet you sent did not meet your standards - or ours. Our goal is to ensure every last bud, leaf, and stem is delivered just-picked-this-moment fresh, and while mistakes will occur with such a fragile and perishable product, we very much regret that we failed to live up to your expectations.

We hope you'll give us a second chance. To make your next purchase with us even better, we'd like to give you 20% off your next ProFlowers order*.

As you know, all of the bouquets at ProFlowers are delivered direct from the fields to guarantee freshness, which is why we offer a refund or replacement, no questions asked, if you are not completely happy. We are able to offer our unique 7-Day Freshness Guarantee as a result of our comprehensive three-point Quality Assurance Program, including:

Careful screening of our growers to ensure the quality of their flowers meets our uncompromising standards, Thorough inspection of our flowers to confirm each one meets strict criteria for appearance, quality, size, freshness, and vase life,
Continuous research to find innovations in flower foods, flower heredity, environmental acceptance, packaging and shipping processes, and other areas,
We put the same care into our flowers and plants as you do in selecting them for friends and family. And, with your 20% discount, why wait? You can browse our current selection of fresh flowers and plants, including seasonal favorites, by clicking here.

Or, save your 20% discount for a special event or holiday - it's your discount to use anytime in the next month, so be sure to save this link!

Please accept our sincere apologies for your unsatisfactory experience; we look forward to serving you again. And, remember, we're always just a click or call away.

There is nothing better than a company who stands behind what they sell, and deliver when they fall short.

Last week when I was at TED, I noticed all of the flowers were provided by ProFlowers, and they were breathtaking. 

 

Retailers Who Don't Add Value - Crushed by The Web

Sometimes the impact the web is having on the world of retail is painfully obvious.  I haven’t been in a Circuit City in some time, and based on my experience today, my guess is that neither have too many other consumers.  Great web experiences at web sites like Amazon, B & H Photo and many others turned this big box electronics retailer into a sad looking shadow of its former self.

If you look at the pictures that I took, you can see that the store is no longer filled with the latest and greatest electronics gadgets.  In fact, the only real reason I could figure a consume might want to venture there is to see how a particular televison looked, or to hear a set of speakers (my guess is then many shoppers might actually purchase it elsewhere).  There was no one with any knowledge to help you.  The display’s were sad and falling down.  In a word, Circuit City has done nothing to add any value to a trip into the store.

This does not have to be the case for retail in the digital age.  In fact digital and retail can easily go hand in hand.  One of the stellar examples in this category is Abt Electronics (full disclosure, SubscriberMail handles distribution of Abt’s email marketing messages).  If you ever are in the Chicago area, make time to visit their retail location.  It is a case study in value-added retail sales done right.  They have partnered with many of their manufacturers to create world-class display areas where you can see appliances and electronics in action.  Every time I go in the store, it is expanding.  It is a fun place to visit, you almost don’t want to leave.  Their web site, and electronic communications is top notch too.

So, the digital road will be littered with the bones of the likes of the Circuit Cities (I don’t give them long).  Visit their web site, and even that is complicated.  The retail future belongs to the brick and mortar value add retailers like the Abt’s and the innovators on the web like the Amazon’s.  Where does your company play?

Communications and Design from Seth's Perspective

Seth Godin really can call it like it is.  He had a posting on his blog this week that should be required reading for every marketer, engineer, programmer, developer…well perhaps everybody.

How often does a message miss the mark, and the intended recipient is blamed for their inability to comprehend it or correctly?  How often does a product miss the mark, not because it is too complicated to use?  It made sense to the engineering team, but unfortunately the rest of the world doesn’t think like that team.

My wife and I spent 15 minutes this weekend sitting in a driveway trying to figure out how to enter an address into the Nav system on a new vehicle.  Whose fault was that, mine or the product designers?  Some would argue I should have pulled out the manual and figured it out.  I would argue (and I think Seth would probably agree) that the system suffered from really lousy design.  I’ve probably used seven or eight different Nav systems before and never had a problem.  This one is just overcomplicated by design. 

As Seth points out, we have a choice.  We can design products that are easy to use, speeches that are interesting to listen to and classes that are fun to learn in.  As marketers, we can also create messages that clearly communicate what we are trying to say.  We don’t want to get so tied up in the marketing that we lose track of the message.

While on the topic of "sucky products"

I'm sure that Microsoft was not too happy about former employee Robert Scoble's (Scobilizer) comments last week (as reported by NetworkWorld) when he basically said the company's products "suck."

It Doesn't Matter How Great Your Marketing Is

Sometimes marketing doesn't matter.  If your product sucks, all the marketing in the world can't fix it.  I traveled this weekend with my family on United Airlines.  I have been an extremely loyal United customer for a long time.  I have flown over a million miles with them (I know this because they were so happy that they sent me a little plastic card that said so...along with two upgrades --wow --).  I have been loyal during good times and bad whether it was labor issues, restructures, lost luggage, you name it.

Well this weekend, our flight involved two aircraft.  The first a 777, and the second a 757.  Both planes are pretty standard on most of the major airlines around the world.  The 777 flight went well.  In fact I must say, the flight crew was probably one of the nicest I've encountered in some time.  On the second plane, the flight crew was fine, but the plane was ready for the scrap yard.  There was grime around the seat areas (you know where you pull the trays out) that was caked on.  Plastic parts were cracked and broken.  Everything on the plane was either dirty, old or broken.  One of the TV monitors didn't work, so part of the plane could not see the movie.  Some of us, could see the movie, but the sound system would short out, so we couldn't hear it.  The john's looked like Porta-Pottys at the end of a long outdoor concert (and somehow had become permanently stained blue by that blue water they use).  We were on a five hour flight, so is it too much to ask for clean pillows and blankets?  I think you get the picture - the plane sucked.

So what is my point.  United Airlines has a huge marketing department and spends millions on advertising and promotion.  Living in Chicago hardly a day passes that I am not exposed to the company at least a dozen times.  All the marketing was undone in a single flight, because despite marketing's best efforts, the experience failed to deliver.  During the trip my wife and I decided next time, we are going to try another carrier (so much for Mr. Loyal 1 Million Mile Flyer).

So, ask yourself a simple question.  Does your customer's experience with your product align with your marketing?  Unless the user experience far exceeds your marketing claims (in which case you are hurting yourself), you should probably change one or the other.  My suggestion, improve the experience, and your business is likely to grow.