MARKETING: Experience and Satisfaction vs. Nickels and Dimes — What Would You Choose?

Sunday, July 25th, 2010 | Uncategorized | No Comments

Great brands rock because they succeed at providing exceptional customer experiences and satisfaction. Great brands also rock because they succeed at convincing customers that the value provided is greater than the price charged. But what happens to that brand when it “nickels and dimes” its satisfied customers to almost laughable extremes? And what would you choose to do — abandon the brand, or accept the pocket-change-mentality surcharging?

Case in point: AirTran Airways.

You may disagree with me (and you probably will), but I love AirTran. They satisfy my business travel schedule with more non-stop flights. Their fares are low. Their online reservations process is a breeze. Their online ticketing process the same. Their fleets are new and clean. Their flight attendants are generally very positive. And heck (depending on whether you think it’s a plus or a minus), they were the first to market with in-flight internet.

But here’s the nickel and dime rub, and it’s moved beyond luggage. In my experience, there exists not one seat on any AirTran flight that doesn’t come with a surcharge. Front, rear, aisle, window, middle, exit row, within sniffing distance of the lavatories, it doesn’t matter — now that you’ve booked your flight, you get to pay again to sit down. And last I checked, sitting down is mandatory on U.S. air travel.

I applaud AirTran’s ability to get away with this and still not really irritate me. It speaks volumes for their brand’s overall positive experience, satisfaction and price-value relationship. That’s a goal every brand should strive to achieve regardless of pricing structure. But what would you choose — to reward the exceptional brand that is all about money (so to speak), or abandon ship?

SOURCE: NOISE, John Sprecher

Tags: ADVERTISING, agency, airtran, best, brand, brand development, customer satisfaction, experience, florida, fort myers, interactive, marketing, milwaukee, naples, noise, sanibel, SOCIAL MEDIA, web, wisconsin

CUSTOMER LOYALTY: Do Your Employees Own It?

Thursday, April 30th, 2009 | Uncategorized | 1 Comment

I was reminded last night how, when an employee owns a problem, a potentially troublesome situation can become an opportunity for a company to create or even enhance customer satisfaction and loyalty.

The employee was a Genius, the company was Apple, and the location was the Genius Bar at an Apple Store. I had made my appointment and driven 30 miles to have my crapped-out laptop battery inspected or — as I had been told beforehand by a Mac representative — exchanged for a prorated discount.

But no more than a minute into my service call, my Genius proclaimed: “Even though this is covered by AppleCare, I would’ve replaced this for you at no charge.”

The key word here? No, not the “no charge,” but the singular “I” that this 20-something employed in taking ownership of a problem that, very clearly, was a manufacturing issue beyond his jurisdiction.

Now, I don’t know if this is Apple-speak, or if he was coached by a great manager, or if he’s extremely customer-centric and intelligent beyond his years, or if it was simply a slip of the tongue. What I do know is that my emotional responses to his “i-ownership” of my problem were positive and satisfying enough to inspire me to praise his effort here.

What about your organization? Do you empower your employees to solve problems on the spot without having to check with higher-ups? Do you encourage them to take personal ownership of your brand, to seize opportunities to turn customer rants into customer raves? If so, way to go. If not, get on it.

You know, there’s no “i” in team — but maybe there should be.

SOURCE: NOISE

Tags: apple, brand loytalty, customer satisfaction, florida, fort myers, mac, milwaukee, noise, sanibel, wisconsin