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For better or Worse- making the best of negative feedback in a public domain

Recently, I decided to invest in a coach purse. I perused the latest styles online, looking for something that was exactly the right size, the perfect chocolaty brown that I love, and with that structured 1940's handbag feel that matches all my shoes.

In my research (I feel like a $300 handbag is an investment that merits a little research)I stumbled upon the companies facebook fan page. I have to admit, I am impressed. The page is covered in pictures, updated daily at least. it links to their website, their twitter, their facebook, and their youtube (that blog is soon to come), store locator's, pictures of the newest collections, even an album of celebrities spotted wearing coach can be found in the archives of Coaches fan page. Someone over there knows what they are doing.

But the best and most impressive part of the page, was the constant interaction that the company had with their one and a half million fans. Coach is one of the rarer major brands, that allows their fans to post on their wall, (Going back to post on "Socially Awkward Media" this is not a common occurrence ) but they also, wait for it, respond! They thank users for compliments, reply quickly to questions, and actively comment on the pages and pictures of relevant "friends". That alone is enough to impress me, but what really suckered me in, was how well they handled negative feedback, (from their fan page):

Rachel Chia Huay Toh I bought a coach wristlet from US, when I return home and found that the color of the wristles is not match with the one from online. Can you help to advice, how am I going to return and get the correct color one?

Yesterday at 3:10am · Hide Feedback (2)

• • 
    

    Coach Hi Rachel, we're sorry to learn of your situation. Please feel free to call us at 800-444-3611 and we'll be happy to assist you further with your return inquiry.
    

    Yesterday at 8:15am · 
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    Rachel Chia Huay Toh Hi Coach,
    Where is this location located? for 800? I will be calling internationally, so I would like to know what is the time different from here. Thanks
    

    19 hours ago · 

Not that it takes a genius to answer simple questions, but the majority of brands seem to either delete or ignore anything that could be seen as negative.

What coach is doing, by leaving these potentially negative posts on the page, but addressing the concerns of the customers, is showing how good their customer services is, and that they actually care about the plight of their consumers and are actively working to create a better product and services for their customers. And as a customer, I care a lot more about that, than making a purchase from a seemingly perfect brand.

Now I'm off to go buy a purse ;-)

Are You a Spammer?

No Marketer wants to think of their emails being viewed as SPAM- but with out a decent definition of what recipients consider SPAM its hard to follow the rules. This great infographic from www.flowtown.com is a great resource to utilize when planning email campaigns (Double click to expand the image in your browser).

Back to the Roots.... No prospect is more valuable than someone who is already buying from you!

It has been said that there is nothing new under the sun, just the same things with a new face. I can agree with that statement- at least in terms of marketing.

Companies put so much effort and energy into their marketing campaigns, trying to come up with the next "it" trend, and figuring out how to get their message into the hands of ideal prospective customers. Postcards, email campaigns, text messages, social media sites, with so many channels open to communicate through, finding the best medium and combining that with the most powerful offer can not only be daunting, but down right impossible.

My theory is this: there is no need to reinvent the wheel with every campaign! While consumers are saavy as ever, people still want what they have always wanted, a great product, for a reasonable price, from a trusted provider (here's the key) who appreciates their business and the money they spend there. It is so easy to forget about customer appreciation- but it an essential part of the equation in terms of marketing.

People talk, and a happy customer is more and more likely to refer a friend or family member if your business is something that is on their mind. Reaching out to those that are already your customer not only reminds them of your presence (or their intention to go in an make a purchase) but it also shows that you as a retailer (or service provider) recognize them as a customer and are willing to make an effort to maintain the business relationship that you have already built. Marketing to people that are already your customers is invaluable, because the hard part is already over- you have their business, now just keep it!

But how do you expect to grow a business with out reaching out to new prospects? Here is where you can put your customers to work for you! Offer them incentives to share your special offers and promotions. Offer incentives for referrals, or buy one get one free promos. There are a million ways to get your customers talking about you. And the plus side is, the customers that are gained by word of mouth marketing already have an emotional tie to your brand, because someone they trust sent them there.

So when it comes to new marketing initiatives, go back to the roots! Think word of mouth.

Interested in using social media to encourage your customers to refer their friends? Synergy VX has it covered. Contact us for more information.