Brand Damage
I've been hearing a lot of complaints from friends and others about companies not calling them back when they said they would or after a message was left on that company's answering service requesting a callback. What does this do?The main damage is to the company's (or individual's) brand. Your company's or your own personal brand is something over which you exercise enormous control both by commission and omission. Most, unfortunately, choose the latter without realising the enormous damage it can do. "They'll understand" or "They shouldn't get so wound up if I miss" seems to be the attitude. People are so busy chasing new business, attending meetings or getting bogged down in administration that they forget to maintain existing revenue streams and wonder why they have to work so hard getting new business because they're loosing the existing client base!
It's all about expectations. If you say you'll do something, people expect you to do it. They don't expect to have to chase you up and get irritated when they have to do so. I now get (pleasantly) surprised if someone calls me back without me having to chase. Why?
What do people assume if you don't keep your promises? Basically, that you're unprofessional or unreliable. Is this the sort of person/company with whom or which you would deal? Of course not.
Labels: Customer Care, Strategy
posted by William Martin @ 15:13
2 Comments:
I like the Tom Peters distinction of "forget Trademark. Become a TrustMark". I find plenty in the current economy to cast doubt on brand. People who are struggling through maintain the underlying principle of brand: Trust.
Brands are about three issues: knowledge, liking and trust as you say. Peters hit the nail on the head here.
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