The Experience

I bought Cuisinart replacement filters for my coffee maker through Amazon which was fulfilled by SmallAppliance.com. The cost was under $20.

When the package arrived, two of the three boxes of filters were fine. In the third box, one of the filters was broken and the charcoal was loose inside the packaging. It was obvious that the filter was not broken during transit as the box and cellophane packaging was not opened or damaged.

I called SmallAppliance.com to get a replacement for the broken filter. I was told I had to take a picture and send it to them for proof of the damage so they could provide it to Cuisinart for them to get a refund. Then I was told that once I got the replacement I had to return the box with the broken filter.

I asked why for a $7 item I had to jump through hoops to get it replaced when most times the merchant just sends another and says keep the damaged item? Their answer was that they didn’t like it either but it was what Cuisinart required of them in order to get a refund for the damaged goods.

Ok, call me crazy but was this really worth my dissatisfaction for an item that may have cost Cuisinart 10 cents to make that was defective from the time it left their warehouse? Is this Cuisinart’s way of punishing distributors because they can sell the product cheaper than the manufacturer can (Cuisinart charged $10 vs. $7 from SmallAppliances.com for the single box of 2 filters)?

I’m letting SmallAppliance.com off the hook here only because I had to believe them when they said they had to do this to get a refund from Cuisinart. Plus they got points when the manager emailed me back when she got the picture and apologized profusely again about the inconvenience.

This return policy/process should be reviewed by the management of both companies. Was this really worth the effort for the negative feelings I have now? I love Cuisinart appliances, but I will now think twice before I buy another in the event I need to return a replacement part.

The Marketing Lesson

Review your processes you use with your clients. If they take more effort than they are worth, streamline or better, eliminate them. Make it as easy to do business with you as you can. When you are providing a service to your customers or clients (distributors are service businesses, not product businesses), make the entire experience one of your key differentiators that get you noticed over the competition.

Technorati Tags: general marketing, customer experience

But that has changed. The reason? Marriott Vacation Club™. They got us there on a promotional package, which my first thought was, “great, 5 nights for cheap in Aruba just to take their 90 minute tour”. Unbeknownst to us, we actually were sold and we’re now the proud owners of a two bedroom villa at the Surf Club in Aruba.

Why did we change our minds? There were 3 vital reasons:

• They sell their timeshares in seasons, not weeks. We can choose a timeframe within a 7 month period to vacation.
• We can trade the second bedroom (called a lock-off) for a second week either in Aruba or elsewhere (so two weeks for the price of one).
• We own the property for life and can pass it on through our estate.

So what part of the marketing worked.

• The telemarketing call – I’m normally not receptive but I remember the person getting my attention quickly before I tuned out. Do I remember exactly what she said? Not really but I didn’t say no and hang up.
• The offer – I got 4 nights/5 days in Orlando for $399 if we used it before the end of 2007. I said I was more interested in Aruba. They said ok. No arguments, no roadblocks.
• Ease of signing up – I called an 800 number and spoke to someone who was friendly and informed. Offered me a 5th night for free – cool. So I got 5 nights/6 days in Aruba for $399.
• Welcome package of $100 in coupons – yes, I’m easily sold on a free dinner.
• The 90 minute tour – they really did a nice job. The sales person didn’t sell, she educated. I think I’ve touted the effect of educating your prospect, not selling. She listened, didn’t try to oversell, explained all the trading tips we could use to maximize our investments and let us make a decision. I respected that and it made a huge difference. In the past, other timeshare vendors pushed too hard.

So, I guess I eat my previous words to folks when I said “Nah, I’m not interested – just using the promotional package to get a good deal on the vacation.

So Marriott, you definitely have your campaign down and it works. As a very critical marketing person, you got high marks on how you handled this entire process.

The process to switch was pretty smooth and so far I like the phone service. It has a lot of options I didn’t have on my business line through Verizon (which they offer but I never was successful at getting them turned on) and our home line which I added for the $20 also has unlimited calling, making that even a better deal (our home line was bare bones basic which we still paid $30 for!).

Now the marketing lesson here is what Verizon didn’t do to save a customer. All I got from them was a recorded message on my answering machine and two form letters sent special delivery (one for each phone number) saying the same thing they said in the recorded message. This actually made me laugh as I felt that I was not important enough to save. I hope they didn’t think that the special delivery of the letters would make me feel special!

Had I received a call from a human to discuss my switch with them, I would have at least felt as if losing a customer for whatever reason was important to them. Even if they couldn’t match the price and service Comcast is offering, they may have learned something from our conversation.

Every one who touches a customer has to be part of the marketing effort to ensure your customers maintain a high impression of your business. Making it human and personal is still the best way to maintain a relationship, even if you lose that customer. Who knows, that customer may want to come back someday and they will remember the personalized touch.