Customers? Who Are They?
from the pay-attention dept
While this article about a new study suggests the findings are "startling", they're probably anything but surprising to most people. It turns out that most companies have forgotten the fact that it really is their customers who pay their salaries, and they do very little to cultivate any kind of dialogue between themselves and their customers. The only really surprising stat is that nearly half of all executives admit that they don't deserve any loyalty from their customers. It seems, for the most part, that there's too much apathy on this issue. If an executive realizes this, why aren't they doing anything to change it? There's too much of a short-term view of companies focused on dragging in as much money as possible this quarter, that they forget to cultivate relationships that have the potential to pay much more next quarter or next year.
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Why doesn't this change?
Well for 2 reasons...both pretty bad.
1) Customer apathy. As much as we say we hate bad service, bad customer treatment...we always go back. Walmart always gets a lot of shoppers and most who go there say they hate it. Most people I know hate Microsoft and hate Windows, but they all dished out major bucks to buy the OS...even tho they all admit they COULD make the effort and learn linux...Same with places like FuturShop in Canada...extremely bad service...but the prices are cheap..soo...
2) Huge MegaCorporations...if you go up enough corporate levels, you'll see that for MANY retail outlets and services, it all leads to one or 2 companies that have their hands in everything so boycotting one place to buy at another just sends money to the same place anyway. And going to a Mom and Pop place will usually run you quite a bit more in expenses IF you find what you need and is NO guarantee that you'll get better service.
Basically, we no longer have any real choices.
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Re: No Subject Given
I hate Wal-Mart and don't shop there unless I am in the most backward podunk town that doesn't have any other retailers -or- it's the Wal-Mart in Kauai (Kauai makes everything tolerable).
I also hate Best Buy but will shop at Magnolia Hi-Fi, which is owned by - guess who? - Best Buy. At places I am loyal to I can go and drop a few hundred and not care (i.e. Costco, Trader Joe's, Target) because I trust the service and the after-marketing.
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Wal-Mart Sucks ...
Those of you that do business with Wal-Mart get exactly what you deserve.
Mediocrity.
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markets are conversations
www.cluetrain.com
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0738204315/qid=1077138194
(No, I'm not spam, heh)
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Re: markets are conversations
That's the thing...
Markets SHOULD be conversations.
But they are only conversations if you are starting out and/or are small.
If you're big enough, it simply doesn't matter...
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