We want you to actually know what you are doing first…
I decided to write a new blog series entitled, “Stupid Customer Service”. (for those of you who don’t know why I chose the word ‘stupid’, a quick Google search should help you there – lol…I tend to get into trouble when I use this word!) I know, there is a lot of bad customer service out there AND I will be writing under the category too of “Remarkable Customer Service” for when those moments magically happen. I hope you can look at these stories and laugh…then read them again to make sure your business isn’t employing similar tactics. And feel free to post your own Stupid Customer Service interactions in the comment section.
This one was just too easy to start this new category with…
I had just finished interviewing Andy Sernovitz for eBay Live Success Week 2007 and was writing up the blog entry for the podcast. I wanted to include some of the tools Andy had recommended in his book. I checked them all out and considered including one particular company as I thought it would be very beneficial to the OSI community. I went to the website to get information about the product to give to my webmaster to use on my site and I also signed up for their affiliate program. (I will only promote items I believe in – it has nothing to do with whether they have an affiliate program or not. But I am also a smart businesswoman…and if someone is going to pay me for what I am about to do anyway…).
I almost died laughing when I received this response from the company which took them 24 hours to send: (You’ll see my response afterward).
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and you know me…ever the smart alec…
Hi,
LOL - I just had Andy Sernovitz on my podcasts…talking about marketing. (you know, he recommends you guys as a product). And we were just talking about getting the information about your company into the hands of the talkers - and amazingly, I am one of those. I could have (& gladly would have since Andy recommended you) talked a lot about your product. But based upon your response, I highly doubt it.
I just interviewed Andy and hadn’t had time to buy/try your product, but that wouldn’t have diminished by ability to sell the heck out of it.
However, I will gladly - as Seth Godin says - use this charming customer service/marketing tale to my advantage in my blogs - thanks for the easy content.
Janelle
This would be the equivalent of walking into the Ford dealership to buy a Shelby Mustang and being told to come back after I got my feet wet driving a Yugo (no offense to those of you who have Yugos).
I would love to know how YOU would have responded if you were that company.
Point: Don’t turn down an opportunity to promote your business. You will lose your initial sale (& talker)…as well as those he/she could have told about your products and company.
PS – Their business name isn’t include in this post NOT to protect them - egads. But so they get no additional press opportunities out of their Stupid Customer Service.
