September 2, 2009
Relationship Marketing, copy-writing
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This past summer I’ve been helping, or should I say trying to help a friend with her thesis. I’ve played the role of the proof-reader, examining what certain sections are all about, prodding and probing to make sure the thesis is a great document.
It has reminded me of my own time doing my thesis - Relationship Marketing in the Airline Industry.
One word that I kept using over and over was ‘despite‘. The word was used quite extensively in the Literature Review, as back in 2002, relationship marketing was a topical subject. Some academics advocated it while others waved it off as a fad.
Not wanting to use the word ‘despite’ over and over, I had to come up with a few alternatives:
Tuesday Thesaurus Word:
Despite
Suggested alternatives
- Notwithstanding (my personal favourite)
- Even though
- In defiance of
- In defence of
- Undettered by
Thesaurus in Action:
Despite the paramedic’s best efforts of resusitication on the scene, the casualty passed away.
Even though the paramedic did his best on the scene, the casualty passed away.
or
Despite a perceived link between loyalty and profitablity, a profitable customer may not be a loyal one.
Nothwithstanding the perceived link between loyalty and profitability, a profitable customer may not be a loyal one.
***Ends***
August 18, 2009
Customer Care, Relationship Marketing, Retail
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There are times when I think I should go back to my customer care training days. From my early days at college, I consumed everything about relationship marketing - books, magazines, Harvard Business Review supplements etc. Susan Fournier was my favourite writer on the topic back then.
I did my thesis for my MBS on Relationship Marketing for the airline industry. I loved relationship marketing - the arguments for and against, the technicalities of it, the operational display of it and the theorys around it.
I still do a customer care training for previous clients and think now that I should go back into it after a phone call from a Vodafone rep. This is a paraphrase of it, from the customers perspective:
Vodafone rep: is that Denise Fay?
DF: Yes
Vodafone: Are you an 02 customer or still with ourselves?
DF: Surely you should know that - you’re calling from Vodafone (Friction No. 1)
Vodafone: Well we’re calling from the landline service
DF: Okay - I’m still with vodafone but am still thinking of changing
Vodafone: Do you want me to get someone to call you?
DF: About what? The mobile or the landline?
Vodafone: The landline.
DF: It’s okay - I’m with BT, I changed some time ago. You guys don’t have broadband.
Vodafone: Oh we do.
DF: Oh really. I didn’t realise that. But I’ve bundled my service - landline and internet with them.
Vodafone: You’re probably in regular contact
DF: With BT? (Friction No. 2)
Vodafone: Yes.
DF: no..like yourselves, I pay my bill.
Vodafone: Oh okay.
DF: So are you giving me information on the landline here?
Vodafone: No. I’m just seeing if you’re interested and someone will call you back
DF: Let me get this straight. You’re calling me to see if I’m interested in talking to someone else about landline services but not you. The purpose of this call is to get someone else to call me back. (Friction No. 3)
Vodafone: That’s right
I got off the phone incredulously - why does it take two people to find out if I’m interested in finding out about landline services and then giving me information? Surely one person would be enough?
I’m all for people keeping their jobs in an economy that lets say, isn’t great, - but lets face it - three frictions in one phonecall is not good customer service.
Where is their relationship marketing?
1. They should have access to a database which shows I’ve been a Vodafone customer for in excess of five years
2. Am I in contact with Vodafone regularly? No. So why would I be in contact with BT? They provide a service, I pay for it. That’s the level of contact with most telecom providers
3. Why two calls? No wonder the cost of telecoms is expensive. We’re paying for a cost of sale that makes no sense in proper financial terms.
On a final note, the rep was lovely. She was friendly and was doing her job well. It’s the idea of not appreciating my business from the get-go that finished that conversation before it could even start. Relationship marketing would appear to be missing within the multiple divisions of Vodafone.
Perhaps, I should send them a copy of my thesis - It covers multiple divisions within an airline but can easily be applied to a telecoms company.
April 24, 2009
Networking, Relationship Marketing
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I attended the seminar run by PA-assist and Osborne Recruitment entitled ‘Staying up in down times’. Held in the Ballsbridge Court, I spent great 3 hours talking to many great people and learning how to stay positive in these times. And as you know, I’m a big believer in positive thinking - hence the Good News Thursday weekly blog. But everyone needs a little extra inspiration.
This seminar, which I hope they turn into a series, was really uplifting. I took over 5 pages of notes, on the three speakers that gave us food for thought and fuel for the soul. The speakers were
As I’m away for a long weekend, I will get down to telling you the advice that I and the 40 odd people in the room received. It is information that NEEDS to be shared. Information is power but it’s the way you use it. I plan on making everyone benefit from it as I think that is just what PA Assist and Osborne would like me to do!
Once I’m back on Tuesday, I’ll be writing up all my notes. Get ready to be inspired for the last week in April.
February 23, 2009
General Marketing, Relationship Marketing
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There is nothing quite like getting customers engaged with your brand - they become advocates, champions and serial buyers of your product.
Walkers Crisps are doing a fantastic job of customer engagement and customer led marketing at the moment. They have spent the last six months encouraging crisp lovers to send in their flavours. All you had to do was take a photo of your suggested flavour and email Walkers. The incentive was a cash prize of £60, 000. I even thought of it myself!
Now the campaign has been taken from the web, to the TV and radio. It’s a consistent, multi-channelled marketing sensation.
Walkers have taken a basic concept - knowing what your customers want, finding out their preferences and buying patterns - and are applying it to their promotion. They have gone to their customers and asked for their help (in a clever way) to understand them better.
Not everyone has the budget of Walkers crisps but it gives a sense to all businesses - small and large - that customer led marketing, where the customer is priority not the company, is the way forward for businesses. It’s almost a new marketing revolution…..putting the customers first…for real rather than assumptions.
If you’re reading this, ask yourself a few questions honestly.
1. Are you really putting your customer’s needs first?
2. If so, how do you know?
3. What problem are you solving for your customers?
4. Are your customers champions of your brand?
If you can’t answer these questions truthfully, you’re not on your own. There are many businesses out there who can’t answer these questions. But take time before the second month of 2009 is out to find answers to those questions.