Link This |
Email this |
Blog This |
Comments (0)
(Not So) Targeted Marketing
February 2, 2007
I don’t mean to rag on EarthLink and Dish Network, but I will.
In part as retaliation for being inundated by their phone calls to my 20-year-old son during the past week or so, but mostly to make the point that an otherwise good marketing technique done poorly can do more harm than good.
It goes like this. The phone rings, there is a three- to five-second pause between me first saying hello (I say it two or three more times before they respond) and an audible click as the call connects on their end, which is then followed by a slightly to very accented voice on the other end asking for my son Derek. Pretending to be Derek I learned one wanted to provide him with faster Internet while the other wanted to give him a great deal on satellite TV. Never mind that he does not make those decisions in this house nor the fact that he lives 1,500 miles away.
The delay between saying hello and someone on the other end answering is due to the use of outdated, low-quality automatic dialing equipment. In today’s world, state-of-the-art equipment would all but eliminate that delay and anyone intruding on people at home could at least do that much.
The fact that the callers I talked to at both companies spoke with accents obviously means the call center is outside the United States. I have no problem with that and found the individuals I spoke with to be polite in light of my increasing anger as the fourth and fifth calls in one night came in.
So what about the national Do Not Call List on which they would find the phone number they were calling had they looked? Beats me. Not only do I not know why we were called, but of greater importance I don’t know why we were called three, four or more times within 15 minutes from both companies, three nights in a row. Nor why they wanted Derek. (Derek doesn’t know either.)
I have to believe that every person reading this has experienced something similar. If you did, how did you feel? If you are responsible for marketing and decide to do “target”, “personal”, “one-on-one”, “rifle shot” marketing — which, done correctly, I hardily endorse — make sure you do it right. If not, you will assuredly cause significant damage to your company’s reputation.
Posted by Bill Matthies on February 2, 2007 | Comments (0)
