Subscribe
So I only get a good offer if I’m a new customer?
Author: Jeannie Walters
May 27, 2005
Since Bill asked me to ‘guest author’ this week, I started looking for something good to write about. I was actively looking for GOOD customer experiences. Really, I was. But then I got a new credit card.
My husband and I were looking for a card with good travel rewards. We found one through Citibank. We applied for it. The day after the cards arrived in the mail, we received a direct mail piece offering a bonus of 15,000 points if we ordered a new card.
We had only received 5,000 points with our brand new cards. So my husband Mike called. He said, "Hey - Citi - we just got these cards but we just got this BETTER offer from you. How about you make up the difference and slap another 10,000 points on our account?" (I’m paraphrasing here.)
Citi basically said: "Too bad. In order to get the BETTER offer than we sent you, you have to apply again." (I’m paraphrasing again.)
So, let me get this straight. I have to reapply for a card we already have in order to get the better offer?
Seems like they’re only interested in treating NEW customers like they matter. Well, here we are, brand spanking new customers, and they’ve already ticked us off. We’re shopping again for a good rewards card. *POOF* Just like that, they’ve lost us.
Great news! Or, maybe a mistake, or…
Author: Bill Cusick
May 24, 2005
Hey, good news! I mean, it’s not great, but you know, it’s a little something. I just opened an envelope from my business insurance company. It’s the company that provides my property, and liability and worker’s compensation insurance policies. In the envelope was a check! To me!
The check was for $6.60. Cool. That will buy me at least two drinks at Starbucks. What’s that you ask? Why? Why are they sending me a check for $6.60? Well, let me just look for the explanation. Hmmm. There doesn’t seem to be a letter or note in the envelope. The check stub has some numbers written on it under the heading: "For internal use only." Not a word to me, the customer.
Oh well, I guess I should endorse it and drop it in our business checking account. Hopefully my bookkeeper can figure out what to do so it doesn’t screw anything up in our accounting. I’ll have to talk to him about it, to deal with the $6.60 deposit.
Wow. They really made this a great experience.
Shopping for a Maserati? Check out kbb.com
Author: Bill Cusick
May 18, 2005
OK, I’m not really a Maserati kind of guy. I’m also not a Hummer kind of guy. I’ve got the souped up Mini. Anyway, when I’m looking for my next car, I’ll probably do a bit of my research with venerable automobile resource Kelly’s Blue Book on their site at kbb.com.
The site was recently rated highest in a plethora of categories, including everything from the quality of their info to the ease with which one can get a new car quote. On the web, as this Keynote Study illustrates, every little thing counts towards (or detracts from) a user’s experience.
Next car, hmmm, those Bentleys look nice.
A little help?
Author: Bill Cusick
May 9, 2005
While Vox is growing lately, we would still be called a "small business." As a small business, we need insurance: health insurance of course, and workers’ compensation, and liability, and property, etc. Health insurance is a fresh and exciting issue every time it pops up for renewal: less coverage for more money…what do we do? But that’s not what I want to talk about.
As for the other stuff - workers comp, liability and such - we went shopping about four years ago, and I met with an agent who set us up. At the time we had a few (like three) employees, and a similar number of computers, and that was about it. The agent was friendly enough, and she sent me on my way with a smile and a handshake.
I wonder whatever happened to her. Oh, she’s still listed as my agent. And her office is but a few miles from mine. And yet…and yet, I don’t think I’ve ever talked to her again. I mean I’ve tried. I’ve called her office to try to buy more coverage as we expanded office space, and increase staff, and transitioned to a larger, more sophisticated computer network and phone system. I succeeded in pressuring someone on her staff, who refused to acknowledge me by name, to allow me to purchase higher levels of coverage.
I guess she’s just really busy. I’ve never received a thank you letter or a word of advice. I’m sure she has other priorities. Still, it’s not exactly warm and fuzzy, is it?
Now that we’re moving from small to mid-size company, I guess we will take our leave of this busy agent and find a human who gives a damn.
