Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Marketing money well spent

OK, the Super Bowl is over, and much of the conversation about the best tv spots, costs, impressions, etc. has subsided. (Writer's Note: THANK GOD!).


So, the cost in 2011 to air a 30-second spot was about $3 million. And remember folks, that does NOT include the production or any other ancillary costs. What did Eminem cost Chrysler for the much-talked-about Detroit/Motor City piece?


Why would U. Blogger care about such things?


Well, I stopped in the local Dunkin Donuts this week for a bagel and coffee. Nothing unusual. The normal cast of characters from the United Nations working behind the counter. No biggee. But, then it all hit me...


I had to stand and wait while the employees finished their animated conversation in some derivative of Pig Latin, or Swahili, or whatever the hell it was. And then, when they did me a favor and returned to speaking English, it was abundantly clear that they were annoyed with my entering the store and interrupting them. Now, I know that a $4.02 sale will not make or break the Kingdom of Dunkin Donuts, but as the old business school adage goes, multiply that number by a lot of pissed off people, and that business is going elsewhere, and someone in an expensive suit at Dunkin Donuts World Headquarters is going to notice. Where was all that money spent before Starbuck's came along? They ate someone's lunch when they came on the scene, that's for sure.


OK, so if you are still with me, you must be thinking... Where the hell is this going?


Here's my point... Do mega million dollar ad campaigns during the Super Bowl really drive your purchasing decisions? What about the way you are treated when you drop $3 on a cup of coffee? I bet you are going with Door #2. Me too.


So, why does business regularly forget about the front line (the idiots at my local Dunkin Donuts) who act like they are doing me a favor when they grab the money out of my hand? For some reason, I say thank you, when they hand me my order, and recently, I have been put off when the reply is "You are welcome." Wait a minute! Isn't that backwards? Don't I, the customer, deserve a thank you? I understand that "America Runs on Dunkin" (I remember the ads), but when I stop and think, it is they that owe me the sincere thank you!


You know, I would much rather be treated well, then see a cute, funny commercial with a monkey or a rap star, which, by the way, the cost for which comes out of the prices charged for the products I buy, to help them attract MORE customers. Is something wrong with this picture? Yep, I think so too.


Dear Mr. Business... please remember that customer service matters. Think about this.... when was the last time you saw a tv spot for the Marriott/Ritz Carlton hotel chain? Never? That's right and why do you think that is? Because, for the most part, their employees UNDERSTAND customer service. They spend their money training people to take care of the customers they have, so they will WANT TO COME BACK.


Which would you rather see? Yeah, me too.


2 comments:

Unknown said...

I wholeheartedly agree with you my friend. Customer service is awful these days. No one goes the extra mile anymore and it's painfully obvious that people do not care about providing quality service.

Love the comparison photos!!!!

Unknown said...

Read the book Raving Fans by Ken Blanchard. It will take about 60 minutes of your time and talk about IMPACT. It is a must read for any marketing class I teach.extorb