I have not written a blog post in a while – have been pouring that energy into PPC Chat! But, after a recent consumer experience, I felt compelled to write one…
Imagine, if you will, shelling out $400 for a hair dryer. Now, you did this after thinking about the purchase for quite a while and reading reviews, etc. You finally take the plunge and buy it. And it’s great – until it is not. It starts losing power after about 9 months. It fully dies within 20 months. The product carries a 2 year warranty. The company (I’m sure you can figure out who they are) replaces the dead unit. Sounds great right? Yes, that part was very much appreciated.
Here is where it gets into an area that I don’t think a lot of companies are really thinking about – what is the warranty on the replacement unit? You’d think it would come with a full 2 year warranty, just like the original $400 unit right? Nope. Turns out they will only honor the warranty period of the FIRST unit you bought. So, I got the new one in mid August and it will be out of warranty in October.
What message is this sending your customers? For me – the message is quite clear. The company does not have confidence in their hair dryer making it for 2 full years. And, they don’t want to have to send me another replacement when the one I have now dies within what should be the warranty period. Do they really think this? I have no idea. But it FEELS like they think this to me, a customer.
How have my feelings about this brand changed throughout this process?
- During research and consideration phase – unsure about company, price point giving me pause.
- After decision to purchase – excitement about using it.
- While using it, before it started to lose power – very happy with purchase and would recommend to others.
- When it started losing power – frustration and disappointment, especially for what I paid for it (it was less than a year of use when it started to lose power).
- When it just stopped turning on – anger and a bit of embarrassment that I paid so much for a product that did not even make it through the warranty period.
- When they offered to send a replacement unit out to me – happy because I had enjoyed the hair dryer previously and was not loving the one I was using instead.
- When they said the would not offer a full warranty period for the new unit – angry and disappointed and ready to tell others not to purchase products from this brand.
How did it go so wrong? They had me back on board by replacing what should be characterized as a defective unit. One that was not representative of the quality of the product. I was ready to be all in with them again. They made a bad situation right. I was happy with the brand again. Damage, controlled. Until I asked about the warranty for the new unit. Then boom, they blew up all of that goodwill they managed to recapture by replacing the defective unit.
Are your clients’ customer service practices doing the same thing? If so, make no mistake, it will impact your PPC efforts. It will impact overall brand sentiment. I don’t always leave reviews, but I felt kind of compelled to do so to let others know that if they find themselves with a non functioning unit, this is what they can expect. If I’d seen a review or reviews like that, I would not have purchased in the first place.
You have to decide if you stand behind your products or not. If you don’t, that is a problem for your entire sales and retention process, not just the PPC part of it.
So, read the reviews for you clients products. See if this is an issue for anyone you’re working with and encourage them to do better. There are always a lot of pieces of the sales and post sales process that are out of our control, but unforced policy errors like this make our collective jobs harder.
I’ll end with a counter example – our dog harness company LupinePet. They guarantee their harnesses, even if chewed. Well, our puppy is a chewer. We have gotten 4 replacement harnesses and we have only had the dog for a little over a year. All you have to do is fill out a form, send photos and they send out a new harness. One harness wasn’t chewed, but the one clip wouldn’t keep the chest strap in the tightness position we needed it. They replaced that one too. That is how you build brand loyalty and keep a customer who is having an issue with your product in your fold.
Have you had an experience like this either as a consumer or in your PPC life? Sound off in the comments or hit me up on Twitter (@NeptuneMoon).
The post Is Your Customer Service Undermining Your PPC Efforts? first appeared on On the Web & On My Mind.
