Connecting the channels

Recently there’s been a lot of talk of customer satisfaction and retention, a feeling that some businesses may not care if you use them more than once or not, but all the marketing material that comes through my door says otherwise.

For example, my former optician has written to me three times this year offering various discounts practically begging I return to them. Now the time has come that I need these services again so it made sense to return to them; it turns out it’s not that simple.

I’ve called twice and tried faxing the lens specification three times. The staff is always friendly and make you believe they’re going to help, but nothing has happened. No appointment, no lenses and certainly no savings as promised.

This has also happened when trying to get broadband based on offers through the post, but a call to the service provider proved pointless as they new nothing of the offers. I can think of more examples which I find concerning. What has happened to our communication channels that some companies don’t even know internally what their messages or offers are? The silos aren’t connected and customers are dropping off left right and centre.

Can you image how many customers businesses could have if they worked cross-channel? Perhaps there wouldn’t even be a recession, I’m trying to spend but no one understands what I’m trying to give them money for!