Internet Marketing Blog

Promotions: Succeed Without Attracting the Nightmare Customer

October 31, 2007 – 3:29 pm

Ahh promotions: classic tool in the proverbial shed of the seasoned advertiser, bastion of customer relations, and possessor of the rare talent for making customers feel simultaneously like a pampered VIP and triumphant bargain hunter. They get people in the store, on your site, or on the phone, and will usually raise both revenues and profits, provided you haven’t given away the store

But there is a dark side to this classic force in the galaxy of marketing. Falsely advertised promotions, dud codes, and hidden expiration dates too often result in the rearing of that most feared of all animals: the angry customer. This nightmare figure of your public relations department can take a few different forms.

Frankenstein: The Loud Customer

On the bright side, Frankensteins have no qualms about unleashing frustration on those around them. They do whatever it takes to tell you what’s wrong, often leaving a scattered path of battered sales people and bruised managers in their wake. These customers are the real deal hunters who purchase because they’ve shopped approximately 250,536 different offers, compared all possible competitors, read every word of fine print (with a magnifying glass if necessary), and spent all waking moments of the past two weeks strategizing for how best to take advantage of your offer. They usually succeed in getting what they want through a combination of stubbornness and threats. I’m that type of customer. When a Bed, Bath, and Beyond rebate was advertised in a local paper after the expiration date, I called customer service and demanded my check. They graciously complied, and I commend their customer service system for it.

The Werewolf: The Passive-Aggressive Customer

The werewolves, most dangerous of all customers, will never give you a chance to satisfy them. If mistakes are made and they aren’t satisfied, they will leave without a word…then promptly start telling every friend, co-worker, acquaintance, blog, and forum willing to lend an ear about how awful your service is, how lousy your promotions are, and how you lied to them. In today’s internet-based world, such frustrations won’t lie isolated for long. Just Ask Dell, who had to spend serious time handling damage control, when one famous blogger, Jeff Jarvis of BuzzMachines.com, let loose his frustrations at the company, with dramatic and damaging customer response. These customers can sometimes be appeased, but it is hard and costly.

The Ghost: The Silent customers

The ghost will never complain when your promotion doesn’t work properly. They will never say anything to you, or anyone else outside their closest circle of friends, but they will take their money, and they won’t come back. You’ll never get a chance to make it up to these customers because their polite, considerate behavior basically makes them invisible. What is the real danger? Most people are the ghost. They will pay more for good service, and leave when they don’t get it. That is why Target has flourished, Apple has soared, and any number of small, service-orientated niche companies continue to survive in a conglomerate-controlled world.

So what’s the verdict on Promotions? At the end of the day, promotions are an excellent, interactive way to interest and satisfy current and potential customers. Remember, simple promotions with easy to read constraints and expiration dates beat false promises any day. Train your people about the promotion, so they can handle inquiries intelligently, and empower them to act with wise judgement to satisfy any fair complaints from customers.