My experience as a consumer:

I love pictures.  And since the digital age, I’ve embraced the sheer volume available to me.  But, when it comes to sharing and enjoying the pictures through the ages, the overwhelming digital experience isn’t always enough.  (see link to blog post).  I’ve taken to creating digital photo books, and printing them, for our family’s enjoyment.  As I tell people who become interested in this pastime and ask for tips, there is a lot of work that goes into selecting the pictures.  In fact, coming up with the right collection for your project is probably about 80% of the work.  Actually plugging them into one of the many platforms available is small potatoes.

So, after a past bad experience with one of the companies I was working with exclusively at the time, I’ve familiarized myself with several different programs available.  I now wait for any of several companies to advertise a sale, and then order my book through them.

Last week, I had just made the deadline for one of the sales at a leading company.  Two days later, they were advertising a new sale, where the price for the exact product I purchased was 20% less!  I was upset.  How much of a valued returning customer can I be, if there is no heads up on an upcoming sale, so that I can plan my purchases accordingly?  Doesn’t my repeat business and my email address on their mailing list accord me anything?

Instead of fuming in silence, I decided to give them a chance to help me come out with a positive experience.  I wrote a very short, polite email requesting to somehow accommodate me with the lower price, leaving it open for them to suggest any number of possible solutions.

(some suggestions I could live with – canceling and re-ordering, reimbursing, coupon for next time, a promise of future information and planning on upcoming sales, etc.  I’m sure you can come up with several as well).

I received a very short email back, “sorry, but there is nothing we can do”.  Which read to me more like “we got lucky this time, you got screwed, we’ll keep your extra 20%, thankyouverymuch, and we don’t care what kind of feeling you’re left with”

So, truth be told, this is the sort of thing I’ve come to expect from the world.  No one has your back. No one will help you navigate the waters.  And if someone else should gain, then you must lose for that to happen.  They got lucky, I got screwed (only slightly, I did purchase my product on some kind of sale… wait a minute, that wasn’t coincidental, I waited and chose them precisely on account of that sale), and now I’ve got to deal with the consequences.  It’s not that much money, why do I care?

Dad, what can I expect from such a situation?  Is it asking too much to be treated in a special manner?  I didn’t even expect them to volunteer my money back, but how many people took the time to turn to them and express dissatisfaction?

Expert Dad’s Answer:

I love this example, because it is a grey area. Most companies will not understand what you are complaining about, since you got exactly what you ordered and paid for. This is a very shortsighted point of view, and these companies have forgotten why they exist. You even took the time to point out to them their problem (yes, it is their problem if a customer might leave because of it).
Organizations exist to take care of their customers, it is that simple and that difficult. As a customer I have needs and wants and I am looking for the best supplier to help me out. If it works out, I will go to them first when I next have a similar need. As an organization, I want to pamper my best customers to keep them coming back. It costs a little bit extra, but not only do the customers come back, but they bring their friends!
So on the one side, I have the added expense up front, while on the other side I have future value from a customer I can count on, as well as the future value of additional customers. Oh, by the way, I no longer need to advertise as much (saving more money as well as increasing profits), since my customers are advertising for me. Sweet Deal!
In your example, the company doesn’t have a long term view, and you do not fit their rules and policies. Case Closed! Most companies are looking to be efficient and save money, this is very short sighted.
Big Mistake! They were offering the promotion anyway, so they weren’t losing much money. If they would have offered you the new promotion (it is customary in most of the world if you buy a product that goes on sale within a couple of days, to refund the difference to the customers. Target has been doing it for the past 20 years that I know of), they would have lost 20% of a one time sale. However, by showing you some goodwill, they would have ensured that you would have seriously considered buying from them in the future (current likelihood is zero), as well as tell the story to a lot of other people, thus driving even more traffic to their site. Instead, they gave you the feeling of being screwed over, of not being a special customer, which should pretty much cost them another customer. Why bother advertising if you are just going to throw your customers away anyway? Far better and more profitable to take great care of your customers (effectiveness) to keep them coming back. Creating value for the customer is the secret to success.
John DiJulius (a customer service guru) talks about making your employees “Day Makers”, based on the tag line from the Dirty Harry (Clint Eastwood) movies from 40 odd years ago, “Go on, make my day!” If your employees are looking for ways to make your customers lives easier or more enjoyable, than you will have customers for life. What could be better than that? Also, your employees will not be in a hurry to leave, since they are enjoying themselves, thus lowering your labor bill. What’s not to like?
I know that is not the approach taken here, but in the US there are a lot of companies who will go the extra mile to make the customers happy under any circumstances. They are extremely profitable as well. In my opinion, I would look for customers who have an issue (or problem), especially if it is not the company’s fault, and make it right. That is a powerful story to have customers telling their friends about what great service you offer, and how you go above and beyond the call of service. As we know from experience (yes, even here), customers will pay more for great service, again driving profits up. So the more customers come looking for great service, the more money you make. What is not to understand?
On the other hand, if everybody got it, then I would be out of a job…..

Dr. Moshe Davidow, PhD.

Service2Profit, CEO