I'd like to recommend the blog of my friend, mentor, and Naples Institute colleague James Fisher, Ph.D.:
www.fisherofideas.com.
Let me warn you now: you're unlikely to agree with Dr. Fisher's views much of the time. He is bound to infuriate you. He will also challenge you, and edify you as few thinkers can.
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Friday, April 24, 2009
McAfee Abuse
Shame on McAfee.
Several times daily, a pop-up window appears on my laptop from McAfee, advising me that my subscription has ended and I may be vulnerable to viruses.
I don't much need a warning from McAfee, mind you, as I've been using Norton for quite a while.
The McAfee window gives me two options. I can click "renew now" or "remind me later." There is no "remind me never" button to click.
I'm sure a more tech-literate person could make this pop-up disappear for good. But it's such a tiny little nuisance that I haven't bothered to ask a friend for the help.
Here's the thing, though. From McAfee's point of view, which is clearly very short-term, a certain number of past subscribers will re-up because of the convenience of this window.
From a customer service standpoint, from a long-term, business-building vantage, I ask you two questions:
First, is this subtle but insistent form of abuse any way to build a thriving base of loyal customers?
Second, how can anyone named McAfee be proud of their company, if they have to abuse people into remaining their customers?
The business world is chock full of short-term business practices. Short-term thinking will never get you long-term results.
I sought out Norton for my anti-virus needs after getting this pop-up window from McAfee for the first time. Yes, they drove me into the arms of their competition.
I wonder if their brilliant strategists have bothered to track how many former customers they have alienated with their petty abuse.
Several times daily, a pop-up window appears on my laptop from McAfee, advising me that my subscription has ended and I may be vulnerable to viruses.
I don't much need a warning from McAfee, mind you, as I've been using Norton for quite a while.
The McAfee window gives me two options. I can click "renew now" or "remind me later." There is no "remind me never" button to click.
I'm sure a more tech-literate person could make this pop-up disappear for good. But it's such a tiny little nuisance that I haven't bothered to ask a friend for the help.
Here's the thing, though. From McAfee's point of view, which is clearly very short-term, a certain number of past subscribers will re-up because of the convenience of this window.
From a customer service standpoint, from a long-term, business-building vantage, I ask you two questions:
First, is this subtle but insistent form of abuse any way to build a thriving base of loyal customers?
Second, how can anyone named McAfee be proud of their company, if they have to abuse people into remaining their customers?
The business world is chock full of short-term business practices. Short-term thinking will never get you long-term results.
I sought out Norton for my anti-virus needs after getting this pop-up window from McAfee for the first time. Yes, they drove me into the arms of their competition.
I wonder if their brilliant strategists have bothered to track how many former customers they have alienated with their petty abuse.
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Don't gouge your customer
I'm in DC today, giving a talk on customer service to business owners and C-level executives in the technology sector. My presentation is predicated on the simple, undeniable premise that if you want to survive this recession, you'd better learn to spoil your customers rotten, or you'll be on the street - if you aren't already.
Recessions suck, especially this one. But they do teach us all to stay on our toes and sharpen our game. You can't fake your way through a downturn this deep.
In a few hours I'll be leaving my attendees with my ever-popular Ten Quick Tips to better customer service - practices they can bring home to the office to get the entire staff performing at a higher level right away, today.
I have at least 120 of these tips, probably more by now. Here's one just for you: Don't gouge your customers.
Gouging is when you take advantage. For instance, if you run an amusement park and charge $6 for a hot dog. Your customers aren't likely to leave the park for lunch, so the typical family of four will shell out $45 for a crappy, thoroughly unnutritious meal.
Having a captive audience is a prescription for gouging. As consumers, we have come to accept gouging as part of the game: we expect this going in, so sure, we don't like it, but... what are you gonna do?
It's tempting to gouge your customers - what respectable businessperson wants to leave money on the table? And when you have a transient consumer, such as a park visitor or hotel "guest," you're probably not going to see that person again any time soon. So... why not go for it?
Hotels are actually where I'm going with this; my talk is at a four-star hotel today. And what I've noticed from years of travel for similar talks is, the more upscale the hotel, the more expensive the Internet access.
That's weird to me. You stay at Quality Inn, Internet is free. But at Marriott or the Ritz, you'll end up paying $10, $20, or more a day for it.
How does that make me feel like a "guest?" I stayed at my friends' house last night. One of them actually spread cream cheese on my bagel for me this morning. Now that made me feel like a guest. And no, I did not have to pay them a cent to check my email.
Sorry - call me a pinko hippie, but I like my Internet free. So I've left the hotel and walked a quarter-block to a Starbucks. My Starbucks card is registered, so I can log on in any of their corporate-owned stores at no price.
That is called "finding the third way out." The gouger says, "Pay or don't play." They think they've won. But savvy customers walk a block and get the service free. Oops. Hotel zero, "guest" one.
...And Starbucks one, as well. They just got a plug on a moderately-well-read blog for not gouging. Good for them.
Bad for Hyatt.
Does your company gouge its customers? If so, you might want to rethink that. It's short-term thinking all the way. Are you in business for the short-term, or the long-haul?
Recessions suck, especially this one. But they do teach us all to stay on our toes and sharpen our game. You can't fake your way through a downturn this deep.
In a few hours I'll be leaving my attendees with my ever-popular Ten Quick Tips to better customer service - practices they can bring home to the office to get the entire staff performing at a higher level right away, today.
I have at least 120 of these tips, probably more by now. Here's one just for you: Don't gouge your customers.
Gouging is when you take advantage. For instance, if you run an amusement park and charge $6 for a hot dog. Your customers aren't likely to leave the park for lunch, so the typical family of four will shell out $45 for a crappy, thoroughly unnutritious meal.
Having a captive audience is a prescription for gouging. As consumers, we have come to accept gouging as part of the game: we expect this going in, so sure, we don't like it, but... what are you gonna do?
It's tempting to gouge your customers - what respectable businessperson wants to leave money on the table? And when you have a transient consumer, such as a park visitor or hotel "guest," you're probably not going to see that person again any time soon. So... why not go for it?
Hotels are actually where I'm going with this; my talk is at a four-star hotel today. And what I've noticed from years of travel for similar talks is, the more upscale the hotel, the more expensive the Internet access.
That's weird to me. You stay at Quality Inn, Internet is free. But at Marriott or the Ritz, you'll end up paying $10, $20, or more a day for it.
How does that make me feel like a "guest?" I stayed at my friends' house last night. One of them actually spread cream cheese on my bagel for me this morning. Now that made me feel like a guest. And no, I did not have to pay them a cent to check my email.
Sorry - call me a pinko hippie, but I like my Internet free. So I've left the hotel and walked a quarter-block to a Starbucks. My Starbucks card is registered, so I can log on in any of their corporate-owned stores at no price.
That is called "finding the third way out." The gouger says, "Pay or don't play." They think they've won. But savvy customers walk a block and get the service free. Oops. Hotel zero, "guest" one.
...And Starbucks one, as well. They just got a plug on a moderately-well-read blog for not gouging. Good for them.
Bad for Hyatt.
Does your company gouge its customers? If so, you might want to rethink that. It's short-term thinking all the way. Are you in business for the short-term, or the long-haul?
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