Time to Get Off the Fence
Reposted from SocialSmack.com
Earlier this month, I had the opportunity to sit on Dell’s first ever Customer Advisory Panel along with a distinguishedgroup of Bloggers & Social Media peers. I thought the invitation was a bold move on behalf of Dell (considering it came via Twitter & I had ranted about a terrible customer service experience I had only weeks–maybe even days–before).
What I didn’t know at the time, was that Dell had purposefully assembled two distinct groups of customers for their two-day panel. Day One consisted entirely of customers who had expressed negative feedback regarding their experience; Day Two: hardcore fanatics.
The message from Dell was clear: It was time to get off the fence.
I can’t speak on behalf of the executives & organizers behind the event, but I would assert what’s becoming clear to them is the binary buying decisions of their customers.
In a world of 5-star rating systems, subjective status updates, online product reviews & communities of only “likes”, how can a brand expect to gather, interpret and put to use that feedback effectively? Seriously…even with all the analytics technology that exists there is still a disconnect because the feedback is subjective.
Enter SocialSmack. We know that consumers make binary purchasing decisions everyday. Ultimately, your experience with a brand–pre, during and post purchase–will be either positive or negative. One might argue that a neutral experience is possible… but will that experience lead you to buy again or not? The buying decision is binary by nature. You either do, or you don’t. (There is no sort-of buy.)
Let’s also take into consideration consumers who have multiple interactions with a singular brand. Over the course of time, naturally, some experiences will be better than others, right? Even in the case of a brand fanatic… we can’t discount that there may be interactions that leave that fanatic less-than-satisfied.
This kind of feedback is the kind a brand can easily interpret & effectively put to use because the message from the consumer is clear. After all, what does a “3″ or “4″ rating REALLY mean? And who cares about only the consumers who love your brand?
We think brands (like Dell) really do want to hear from consumers who give them Props and Drops.
Don’t you think it’s time for brands to get off the fence?
We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!
Comments 2 Comments
Later, when Microsoft decided to acquire Fox Software, it wasn't strictly for the technology. It was well known that Microsoft wanted to translate the loyalty of the Fox developer community into developer loyalty for their other developer offerings (C, VB, SQL, Access).
It didn't turn out the way they thought it might. But that's another story.
Some people will never be your customers. Some people can be converted. Some people become your fanatics.
On a scale of 1-5, 1 being bad and 5 being excellent, people who choose 1-2 are unlikely to become customers even if you address their issues. That doesn't mean you shouldn't make things right for them, but they will generally be harder to convert.
People who choose 3-4 may be retained or converted as future buyers if you hit the right notes. But, again, you can't satisfy everyone, so pick your battles carefully.
People who choose 5 are usually very likely to remain customers, may be fanatics, and may promote your brand with others. It's important to understand why they rate your brand highly -- what they value -- and not lose sight of that when pursuing 3s and 4s.
Mac fanatics are feeling ignored by Apple right now in favor of iPod and iPad buyers. How critical is it to Apple if it loses this part of their fan base? Are they developing a new set of fanatics for products that may eventually leave the Mac behind?