Like the work the plan as you put it. You are right about the autoresponder and as Julia had mentioned a back up plan even if it is simple is a good idea to have in place.

A back up plan is a good idea as you say it is hard to predict problems. We can forget that customers just want the problem fixed. As you were responsive I bet she will remember for a long time how you helped her.

Rob
Rob Berman recently posted..What Are Some Marketing Mistakes That Companies Make

You make a good point about the phone and not losing touch. With a product of ours we did phone customers who had a problem as often they did not express the problem clearly and phoning them help resolve the issue quickly. It also gave us a chance to develop the relationship.

Thanks for your comment.

Thanks for commenting. Autoresponders I think are okay when used in the right way, but they can trip you up. No company is perfect and although it is easy to say, we just need to double check elements to stop problems early. Glad yo hear you are happy with GoDaddy.

I have a free report on my site that is easy enough to download. Recently I got an e-mail from a frustrated customer because the download apparently doesn’t work from the foxfire browser. Luckily I don’t have an automated responder so I could make her happy quickly.

No it wasn’t GoDaddy, but I have a feeling the experience is not uncommon. Often we hear about this type of service from larger companies and I was really surprised that it was a small business. I think they did not have the resources and took on too much at the one time.

You are right about service and I would not recommend them even though their product is good.

Thanks for your comment.

Customer service is crucial and for one dissatisfied customer you lose 10, at least.
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Sorry to hear about your troubles. It sounds terrible especially when you know you are in the right. The human touch can make all the difference especially soothing a customer who is upset.

I hope it is settled soon and thank you for sharing your story.

Great, sound advice all around. Paying attention to details is key, and foresseing problems which may arise is perhaps equalliy important. This leads to “how will these potential problems be dealt with.”

We recently received a phone bill for 34,000 shekels (about $9,000). I called the phone company immediately and told them our average bill is approximately $60. We did not make calls to anywhere other than our usual numbers despite the fact that we are being billed for hundreds of calls to Moldova, Bulgaria, Germany and the Czech Republic! The representative and her cadre of supervisors all told us the same thing, “Our computers don’t lie!

We have retained a lawyer who will, no doubt, get to the bottom of this. Unfortunately our phone service will be disconnected for non-payment in the coming days!

The phone company obviously does not know how to treat or retain customers as we will be transferring to a new company ASAP!

Yoni

Rarely are marketing programs or campaigns perfect. Things always go wrong although the customers may not be aware of it especially as you present a picture of all being well. Having experienced this as a marketer and customer the problem often stems b…

Good to have you back and hope you enjoyed your holiday. Today I think we are less patient with mistakes and being ignored or having a feeling of being duped unfortunately lasts.

Thanks for your comment.

You are right and this is so important in the early stages of a relationship. Technology is great but a human element is essential as you said. The funny thing is I received an answer to the problem this morning without any suggestion as to how to fix it or anything to repair the relationship.

I don’t do promos for my business, but I hate it when I get duped. The last time this happened was at a service (gas) station. I was tempted to try a new bag of lollies by a banner promising a generous cash back payment. On getting the bag home, I realised the offer had expired two months earlier!

It may have been the station’s fault for hanging onto old stock, but you can rest assured I got a bad feeling about this confectionary company nonetheless.

Best regards, P.

Nothing says “We don’t care.” louder than autoresponder for customer service issues. I see many businesses where the only process they have in place is an auto reponse to an email. As your example clearly illustrate, it’s a great way to lose business.

I’m all for technology improvements in business. It’s important to remember customer relationships require personal interaction.

Nice post.