Lessons from Hollywood Bowl Part 1

On a recent visit to Southern California I decided to go with a friend to the Hollywood Bowl. I was excited because I had never been to the SoCal landmark. I was just as excited to take pictures of the place. One problem: No professional cameras allowed. I don't know why I thought it'd be any different than an indoor concert at... say... the Walt Disney Concert Hall where photography of any kind is not allowed. Maybe I thought it would be OK because it was outdoor.

Turns out, I had to check my camera in with Security. This worried me because I was not sure if I would have enough time after the concert to pick up my camera and get to the park-and-ride bus before it left. I was also irritated because there were plenty of point and shoot and iPhone cameras allowed in that could take just as good of pictures as my SLR depending on how close you are to the stage.

A few take-aways:

1. Make your policies as clear as possible - don't save them for the fine print, and organize them clearly on your website. On this point, the Hollywood Bowl fails.
2. Follow the example of Hollywood Bowl: If you have customers complaining, handle them calmly, refer them to a customer service line, and offer a secure place for them to take their things.
3. Read tomorrow's post for point number 3 on social media and multimedia.

What customer service issues have you had and how have you dealt with them?

In times of trouble, make your policies clear

Lesson #1. When a customer complains, apologize, but make your policies clear.

Lesson #2. When making your policies, do your best to be reasonable. It will avoid a lot of problems and a lot of complaining customers.

Back in March, I wrote about a bad experience I had at a Carl's Junior. I later learned that the problem wasn't that the people at the restaurant were being rude, but that CJs had a certain policy that the restaurant managers were going by. Rather than just outright demanding I return the food when it was their fault their ATM machine was not working and they hadn't warned me, they should have told me the corporate Carl's Junior policy. Then, I would have been fine with what was happening and taken my concerns to the corporate offices, rather than yelling at the nice people at the restaurant.

I thought about this more after a recent interview I had for a position at a local theater. My interviewers asked me what I would do if a customer at the box office was complaining or asked for something I couldn't give them. I replied that I would stay calm, say what I could, and bring in my supervisor as a last resort, if it came to that. Upon further consideration, I realized how important it would be in a situation like this to make the theater's policies clear. For example, if it was concern over a ticket, I would tell the customer the policy and point out that it was made clear on the theater's website and when the patron bought his tickets.

Of course, some companies just don't think when they create their policies. So, once again, the two lessons here are:

1) When a customer complains, apologize, but make your policies clear.

2) When making your policies, do your best to be reasonable. It will avoid a lot of problems and a lot of complaining customers.

Popular airline trends in customer service and marketing and why Copa Airlines does not meet those standards

I returned from The Dominican Republic a little over a week ago, and I was less than satisfied with the customer service, public relations and marketing policies exhibited by Copa Airlines.

With JetBlue and Virgin America airlines offering individual video screens for each customer as well as spacious, leather seats for the cabin class, expectations are high, especially for international flights. Based on my experience with these and Copa Airlines, I decided to put together a list of what I expect from a good airline when it comes to customer comfort and service.

Comfortable seats: Not necessarily leather seats, but roomy and comfortable, nonetheless. Copa's seats were comfortable enough, but were nothing compared to other airlines - even domestic airlines.

Free video for each person: Copa had video, but there was only one screen for every couple of rows, and the videos played were preselected. Grant you, it was free to watch them, but considering that British airlines had individual screens for every person back in 2002, I think Copa has had plenty of time to improve. JetBlue and Virgin America offer a cool map feature that lets you see where your plane is, as well as free TV channels and movie options that are on a constant loop.

Pillows, blankets and headphones: On this count, Copa passes. They made these items freely available and easy to access.

Friendly flight attendants: For the most part, Copa passes, but when I asked for an extension seat belt, the flight attended gave me an unfriendly look that made me feel very inferior and stupid.

Not over overbooking flights: On my return flight from Panama, Copa overbooked the flight by 36 people. I understand overbooking by a few people to guarantee a full flight, but 36 people! That's just ridiculous, poor business dealing.

Not making the customer feel guilty/Not forcing the customer to give up seats: Copa tried to convince my group of 15 people to give up our seats due to the overbooking. They pretty much made it look like they had already taken our seats away, even though we had confirmed seats. They wanted to pressure us into volunteering our seats by making it look like we didn't have seats in the first place. Bad public relations, Copa. Try to make a better impression next time.

Reasonable offers for giving up seats: Copa offered to pay for hotel and food, as well as to give each of us $300 in flight credit for Copa. None of us ever planned on flying Copa again - we don't go to Latin America very often. Plus, $300 isn't even enough to pay for a one way flight with Copa, which only offers expensive international flights. Airlines used to offer free flight credit in exchange for giving up your seat. What happened to those days? And if you're going to overbook by 36 people, you really should be willing to deal with the consequences.

So what's on your list of positive airline relations?

The customer is always right

I had a bad experience at Carl's Jr yesterday. Just goes to show that the customer is always right. Read the letter I wrote to them below:

To whom it may concern:

My name is Harmony Wheeler. On Sunday, March 27 around 4:30 p.m., I went to the Carl's JR on Rosecrans Ave in La Mirada, CA. I ordered a 20 piece chicken strip box, a 5 piece chicken strip, and a large fry.

I had more than enough money on my debit and credit cards to pay for the meals. The store's credit machine "server" went out, however. It appeared that I was the first this happened to, since they gave me no warning and at first made it out to be my fault until they tested several cards and realized it was the machine's fault.

I told the worker I didn't have enough cash to pay. After he talked to his supervisor, he said I would have to give the food back. After I complained (pointing out that they would only throw the food away if they took it back, that it was not my fault or my card's fault that the credit machine was not working, that I was the first it happened to and thus they owed me an apology and the food I ordered, and that they could easily tell everyone after me that the credit card machine was not working and avoid further incidences) they insisted I give at least $10 for the meal. I did not have that much. I searched my wallet and found 7 one dollar bills. They eventually accepted my $7, cleaning me out for what I had. The whole of it took at least 15 minutes, if not more. On top of this, they made me feel guilty in front of my friend who was with me.

I am a public relations professional, and I know what good and bad service is. The customer is always right. When you're in the wrong, give the customer their food for free without fighting or cleaning their wallets out. I was very offended by the poor service offered at this Carl's JR. That particular Carl's JR has lost my business forever. Carl's JR as a whole will not see my business for a while.

I hope you will take this complaint into consideration. I do not know what other Carl's JRs are like, but if this happens to others, I'm sure you will lose their business, as well.

Thank you for your time. I'm sure that Carl's JR as a whole has better public relations than this one restaurant has.

Harmony

Why Facebook's growth models the need for interactive marketing

Considering recent statistics that show Facebook continues to grow, I have to wonder, "Why? How do they do it? And how can I apply Facebook's success to my own marketing and public relations strategies?"

After all, no one ever says "MySpace me." MySpace has gained popularity with bands and other groups, but the major social network remains Facebook. Perhaps this is because Facebook never stays the same. While many have complained about the many changes in layout, the new layouts give users something new to get excited about. I only recently saw the movie The Social Network. In the movie, Zuckerberg (founder of Facebook) mentions that his site will always be changing.

Change. The world is constantly changing, and we need to change with it, especially in our marketing and public relations strategies. But one more important lesson for marketers comes out of Facebook: the importance of interaction.

In the movie, The Social Network, Zuckerberg also says Facebook provides people with the opportunity to connect online, to learn about each other through status and relationship updates.

Such interaction has its downsides. An old professor of mine recently stopped using Facebook because he believed it negatively affected relationships by keeping people from interacting in person. His choice should come as a warning to marketers. Without genuine interaction, Facebook negatively impacts some of its users. It's up to you, as the representative of your company, to show that your company does genuinely care. The accusation that Facebook facilities fake relationships and keeps people away from real, personal relationships should make us work even harder to prevent that very thing from happening.

How do you increase interactions with customers and keep those interactions genuine?

Perks and their attraction

Last month, my mom decided she wanted me to "refer" her to Wells Fargo just so she could open an account and get a free stuffed animal - a Wells Fargo Express Pony, to be more specific. Supposedly, these things are collectors items, especially since you can only open so many accounts.

Anyway, my mom made me wait for an hour while she opened a new account. At the end of the hour she found out there were no ponies available, and the Wells Fargo representative gave her an "I owe you." We went back later for the pony, but it still felt like a lot of work for nothing.

It does go to show, however: customers like perks and will jump at any opportunity to receive free stuff.

What deals have you offered to get customers interested?

Make decisions easy for customers

In my last two posts I talked about using newsletters to make it easy for customers to find and buy your products. It's important to note that in a society where the economy is bad and people are looking for deals, customers will be comparing products, and it's up to you to make the final decision, hopefully one in your favor, easy for the customer.

Amazon has a simple way of doing this. To keep the customer on their own site, Amazon compares products for customers. More specifically, it compares reviews of products. The customer does not have to go searching through the many reviews on a product. Rather, he can view the best and the worst review at the same time.

How do you make the final decision easier for your customers?

Newsletters Part 4: Making your blog or newsletter successful

Making your company's blog or newsletter effective drives traffic to your website and gains the confidence of your customers. Drew Zagorski has some great advice on making your newsletter successful. On his "Left Brain Right Brain" blog, he writes newsletters should:

• Position you as a thought leader
• Remain in front of your audience
• Drive traffic to your website
• Enhance your relevance in search engines
• Increase your presence in the social network space
• Promote not only your business but the business of the people who you do business with
• Present sales offers to drive sales

Zagorski goes into more detail on his blog.

In your mind, what makes a successful newsletter? How do you drive traffic to your site?

Read Newsletters Part 1: Know the audience you're writing to

Read Newsletters Part 2: Use simplicity to sell your product

Read Newsletters Part 3: Amazon's product suggestions

Newsletters Part 3: Amazon's product suggestions

While Amazon's regular emails with product suggestions do not fully qualify as newsletters, they give us yet another example of a simple way to remind customers of your product.

Amazon sends out regular emails to me, featuring products I might be interested in based on my previous purchases. The emails start with a summary of products and their photos and then gives more product details. They get me interested in a product before they give me the details. The summary also serves as a useful way of telling me what I'm in for. All newsletters should make their point clear from the very first sentence to the subject headline.

A quick word of caution based on Amazon's emails, however. While the emails are sometimes helpful, they come far too often and are often repetitious, which easily gets on my nerves. Always be careful to avoid annoying your customers with too many emails. It's usually more useful to pick a regular date on which to send your newsletter and at a rate that will not annoy customers.



What do you add to your newsletters to remind customer’s of your products?

Read Newsletters Part 1

Read Newsletters Part 2

Newsletters Part 1: Know the audience you're writing to

Newsletters can be a useful method for keeping your customers interested in what  you have to offer. They give customers a gentle nudge and a friendly reminder of your existence.

Whether you use a physical newsletter or an e-newsletter depends on your audience. An older audience might prefer a physical paper, while a younger, tech-savvy audience may prefer an e-newsletter delivered straight to their email.

Last summer, I worked for a theatre company (Sierra Repertory Theatre) that used both methods. They created a physical paper a few times a year that they sent to season subscribers and put on display for audience members to read while they waited for shows to start. SRT also sends out an e-newsletter through PatronMail twice a month. The newsletter provides a quick introductory news blurb written as a personal note from the marketing director. It then goes on to provide articles about people involved in current productions. Theatre goers like to learn about what goes on behind the scenes, and the local audience that SRT serves is an old-fashioned one that prefers reading about people over reading about news. SRT's newsletter caters to its audience. It also provides sidebars that remind readers of current production dates and of needs for volunteer ushers.





What do you do to make your newsletter successful?

Adapting to the Changing Times: Becoming like Proteus

According to a blog post by Jayblock Companies, the god Proteus was known for two things:

1. "He was able to foretell / predict the future and…


2. He was able to change, adapt, and acclimate himself to successfully meet and thrive in the future that he envisioned."

While the blog post focused on the application of this to the job market, I find that this has equal application to public relations and marketing. Far too many companies are reluctant to change with the times. Newspapers have gone under because of their leadership's unwillingness to adapt and use modern technology.

Tis the Season: Add a Little Charity, Gain a Little Customer Loyalty

It's the holiday season, which puts customers in a cheery mood. People always love to see and hear feel good stories like those of Extreme Home Makeover, but they love these stories of charity, hope and love even more during the Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons. And the holiday decorations give you the chance to make your little bit of charity even more unique.

For example, Disney has given one family a special treat and posted photos of it on their blog. The blog reads:

...this year we teamed up with Sylvania andCHOC Children’s to take the magic of the holiday season from the Resort to the home of one special little girl and her family. Adela Jauregui, 8, a patient at CHOC Children’s, and her family watched as their home lit up with more than 6,200 lights and Disney-themed décor.

What a great way to bless others and bring attention to yourself at the same time. The real challenge is to find a way to do this all year in unique ways that please and bring in customers.

How have you used special causes to promote your company?

Interacting with Your Public: Disney Memories and User-Generated Content on Facebook

Many news outlets have made themselves more successful by pursuing and allowing citizen journalism. It seems Disney Resorts has had a similar idea. The company has created a Facebook page design specially for Disney fans to share their Disney parks memories in the form of text, photos and videos.

Called "Disney Memories," the application gives the average everyday person the opportunity to feel in charge, to feel special, to feel, as Mickey Mouse would put it, like they're in the "happiest place on earth."

A Lesson From Disney: When a Customer Doesn't Like a Rule, Turn It Around

When you live in SoCal, have a Disneyland season pass, and go to Disneyland as often as I do, you begin to notice things. You might have just read that book about all the hidden Mickeys, or you might just be an observant person. Either way, you notice things. For example, you might notice that Disney does not sell gum at its parks.

I'd imagine Disney's customers would not be too happy if Disney made a no bubble gum rule, a rule that would likely be impossible to enforce. So, instead of making its customers irritated, Disneyland Resort turned it around into an implied rule instead of a stated rule. Disney does not sell gum in its parks, but it doesn't make it illegal either. This keeps customers happy. It keeps the park clean, but allows customers, hopefully the more responsible customers, to bring their own gum.

How do you keep your customers happy? What do you do to sweeten the seemingly negative things?

Lessons From Subway: Cater to Guest in Person and Online

Here's a lesson from your local Subway store: cater to the customer both in person and online. It's not enough to network online. You have to build your brand, your business in the physical, face-to-face world, as well.

I went to a Subway sandwich store in Southern California today. There was a clear, simple sign out where I could easily see it announcing the fact that I could leave without being charged tax if I bought a cold sandwich to go. The sign pointed out right away in bold that the customer could avoid taxes: "Buy your sandwich without paying tax." It then proceded to compare other options to the no tax option. Simple, satisfying, and helpful. It served the customer.

How do you serve your customers?

On top of the great customer service, the fast food restaurant also displayed a sign advertising its affiliation with other Southern California Subways, all of which share a Twitter page.

How simple do you keep your ads? Is it important to limit yourself enough to keep you from going overboard with advertising?

Subway's advertising, in this case, was simple, and yet it managed to draw my attention. That combined with the custmer service won me over. As John Jantsch (author of The Referral Engine) says, it's important to balance social media with in-person service. You're bound to keep customers' loyalty if you follow this rule.

Video preview of "The Referral Engine" after the jump.