Customer service is an increasingly big issue for people nowadays, with many companies getting shot down for not being able to provide even the basics. The focus is so much on money, profit and keeping shareholders happy. With such vast company structures, the people who run things are so far removed from their customers that showing loyalty to businesses no longer means anything. In fact it can cause us to lose out on better service and better deals. Below are the three big reasons why you shouldn’t give companies your loyalty. You won’t get any back.
- They just want your money
Businesses need your money to survive and nothing will change that. They don’t put on special offers for your benefit. They don’t provide bonus cards out of the kindness of their hearts. It’s all about pulling more money from your wallet. That discount sale they have isn’t about helping you to save money it’s about subtly encouraging you to buy all their crap you wouldn’t get the rest of the time. Even when a business put some of their precious profits into fancy features, extra training and new store makeovers it’s still ultimately to make more money. “Ooh! New store layout, must go in and have a look… wow, sparkly things!” - You are merely a statistic
With such huge, long reaching internal structures in companies nowadays, you are so far removed from the people who run the company. The top people don’t climb the mountain due to their excellent customer focus, they show how great they are great at fiddling with charts and financial tables. You are nothing more than a statistic. CEO’s and shareholders love statistics and that’s as cold and calculating as it sounds. How can you make helpful policies and initiatives when you never come face to face with your customers? - You lose out on better deals elsewhere
This is where business loyalty will really bite you in the ass. So many companies have a nasty habit of focusing on pulling in new customers, while keeping existing clients comes in a distant second. It’s all about those stats again. Increased market share looks great at shareholder meetings. As a result other companies will do a lot to ensnare you. Likewise, if you threaten to leave they will go out of their way to keep you. If you do nothing, you will be ignored or lose out as other companies offer more competitive deals.
May 13, 2008 at 06:36PM
Absolutely true, at least for the big ones. But I hold true to my neighborhood stores, where they know my name and I have a chat with the owner while he wraps my cheese. Or where I can take a couple of friends to play that new game before I buy it. I prefer this above supermarkets and malls. 95% of the stuff I need I can get within a ten minute walk from my home, even if it might be made by a major corp (like printers). You give something to your neighborhood and get back even more. It feels so much better to know whom you are giving a decent living to rather than having to deal with grumpy people at all those huge markets.
May 13, 2008 at 07:10PM
Thanks for the comment Bud. I agree with what you’re saying. I should perhaps have specified that it’s the big companies that don’t deserve your loyalty. These massive businesses and public companies are so stringent and tight when it comes to money there is simply no leeway for providing good service.
May 14, 2008 at 03:00PM
Sad, but true. Beware of alleged benefits for new customers, though. Read the fine print below the exciting promises. I think fine print and foot notes should not be allowed in ads.
May 15, 2008 at 05:34PM
You make a good point Rolf. It’s sad how one of the biggest practical life lessons you can learn in the 21st century is to read fine print.