Posts tagged "Customer Service"

We who’ve been in the marketing communications business for years have certainly been exposed to a myriad of brand repositionings in our professional careers…and most likely participated in more than a few as well.  Some simple and easy, some incredibly complex, but all with the intention of moving the perception of the brand closer to what the prospective customer wants to buy (even if requiring change in what the marketer has to “sell”).
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As a rule, I hate calling customer service. Almost anybody’s customer service department. Until yesterday. Yesterday I called a customer service representative at Grand Rapids Chair Company. No, I didn’t need chairs. Actually, I didn’t even need customer service. I needed to get in touch with my daughter, a customer service representative there. Of course I didn’t mind leaving a message, and I’ll bet their customers are probably fine when they occasionally get voice mail too. Okay, and all biases aside, her voice mail said something like, “ Thanks for calling Grand Rapids Chair. Leave me a message and the name of your favorite 80s rock band, and I’ll get back to you shortly.”

Later, I asked her about her message. She told me it’s something they always do. They change up their voice mail messages every few weeks, but every customer service rep has something creative and fun included in their recorded voice mail messages. Seems to fit really nice with the overall perceptions I have of their company and brand. Essentially, they design and manufacture chairs, bar stools, tables, etc. for the hospitality industry—restaurants, bars, hotels, etc. Trendy designs. Urban designs. Upscale designs. Custom designs. Lots of cool stuff.

For me, the unexpected message really resonated and fit the brand personality. (more…)

Advertising agencies have been known to take their clients for granted. They believe that since their clients are usually not marketing experts, and are busy operating their businesses, they are somehow less inclined to evaluate agency performance or consider a change. We get too comfortable, thinking they wouldn’t want to have to bring someone else up to speed, learning about their business.

Obviously a very smug and dangerous assumption. In this day and age, everything is assessed constantly. Regardless of the industry, or the lack of sophistication of your clients, if you don’t serve them as well as you once did, someone else will get the chance. (more…)