Satisfied Customers Tell Three Friends, Angry Customers Tell 3,000
March 20, 2009
Blackshaw cites a customer who was angry with AOL in 2006 and how that customer's web rage has caused AOL a lot of problems. Putting AOL and 2006 together tells more about AOL's problems than one very visible angry customer. AOL's problems were writ large almost 15 years ago when a free and open internet started to explode.
Then there are tales of Dell's poor customer service over the last few years. I've heard and read about this, but it wouldn't stop me from buying a computer from them. And I don't believe it has dragged Dell down from being the largest computer maker in the world.
In terms of transparency, the author could have been a little clearer himself. I accept he is an expert in this field based on his past marketing work and his current company. There are many references to his company and the advice he has given his clients. Now if he were purely honest and transparent, shouldn't he state clearly that this book is in part a marketing message for his own business?
It did make me wonder about my own website. To my knowledge, I haven't been dishonest here. I don't say explicitly "This website is to promote my writing career". That should be obvious.
A better example is this posting on Blackshaw's book and the ALOBIR section of the website (plug plug plug). I track the books I'm reading primarily for my own benefit, to see in some statistical measures what I've been reading. If it's of interest to anyone else, great! There is an added bonus.
I've found that a fair amount of web searches that lead to my site are for the books/authors/topics that I'm posting. If posting these books wasn't helpful to me, if I were doing it purely for the search results, that would be dishonest web marketing. So I pledge here and now, with full transparency, to stop posting books if I ever get bored with it. :-)
Author: Pete Blackshaw
Published: 2008
Blackshaw covers how the internet allows people to sound off on companies, creating Consumer Generated Media (CGM). There are many examples of good and bad corporate behavior on their websites. Blackshaw advocates for transparency and truth.
Blackshaw cites a customer who was angry with AOL in 2006 and how that customer's web rage has caused AOL a lot of problems. Putting AOL and 2006 together tells more about AOL's problems than one very visible angry customer. AOL's problems were writ large almost 15 years ago when a free and open internet started to explode.
Then there are tales of Dell's poor customer service over the last few years. I've heard and read about this, but it wouldn't stop me from buying a computer from them. And I don't believe it has dragged Dell down from being the largest computer maker in the world.
In terms of transparency, the author could have been a little clearer himself. I accept he is an expert in this field based on his past marketing work and his current company. There are many references to his company and the advice he has given his clients. Now if he were purely honest and transparent, shouldn't he state clearly that this book is in part a marketing message for his own business?
It did make me wonder about my own website. To my knowledge, I haven't been dishonest here. I don't say explicitly "This website is to promote my writing career". That should be obvious.
A better example is this posting on Blackshaw's book and the ALOBIR section of the website (plug plug plug). I track the books I'm reading primarily for my own benefit, to see in some statistical measures what I've been reading. If it's of interest to anyone else, great! There is an added bonus.
I've found that a fair amount of web searches that lead to my site are for the books/authors/topics that I'm posting. If posting these books wasn't helpful to me, if I were doing it purely for the search results, that would be dishonest web marketing. So I pledge here and now, with full transparency, to stop posting books if I ever get bored with it. :-)
Comments
Well, in general the premise
Well, in general the premise is true. This is why, at least when I worked in fast food, it was more acceptable to have a cash drawer that was under than one that was over (the though being that it's better to give the customer too much change than to short change them). IT was something like one customer than has a good experience would tell about four people, and they would tell two each, and that's where it would stop. However, a customer that feels they were slighted will tell sixteen people, they in turn would tell eight people each, who would then tell four more each. Which was also why if a customer came back to the counter to complain that they didn't get the right order (condiments, sizes, whatever) that there was no argument, you replaced their order (unless they couldn't return anything) with that they said they wanted.
But I agree, in several sense the internet proponents are starting to get full of themselves again. The bad thing is that more people are believing their post hoc ergo prompter hoc logic giving a magnification effect.
Yes, agreed. Unhappy
Yes, agreed. Unhappy customers can spread bad vibes or even false rumors (there were a few examples of those in the book).
I meant to mention this gem in the post: It is easier to keep a customer than to get one.
The person who told me that was in sales. My gut reaction was denial, because I won't give my business to vendors/stores/etc. that burn me. And then I realized, most people don't react that way. Most people forgive and forget.
T, You won the scavenger
T,
You won the scavenger hunt! Didn't need a time machine after all, did ya? ;)
Let me know which email address to send your Amazon gift card to, K?
Many congrats and thanks for playing:)
Woo hoo!
Woo hoo!