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Tough Customers
Last week I had the great pleasure of meeting with several of our Atlanta-based readers. We had a lively discussion on various customer strategy topics, and were joined via teleconference by Don Peppers. During our conversation, several comments particularly caught my attention. One was from Delta's Carole Ashworth (who Mila D'Antonio recently interviewed for our feature on the airline's customer strategy overhaul). Carole noted that one challenge Delta faces in building customer relationships is that some customers won't give the airline the information it needs to better serve them (for example, preferred airports), yet they complain when they receive communications that aren't relevant -- communications that could easily be made more relevant if those customers would provide a bit of information on their preferences. It's a tough Catch-22.
Don commented that Delta's conundrum is quite common, but that as trust is built over time by company's using information in customers' best interest, customers will share more informatoin. The result is that over time that trust builds the bottom line. "If customers trust a company, they will go for optimal value creation for themselves and for the company," Don said. So I say, welcome those tough customers, find ways to build a trusted partnerships, and you'll create win-win relationships every time.
Delta does ask, in the form of opting in to more customize communications (and possibly more directly as well, but we didn't discuss that). It's just that some customers don't want to share anything "personal," even something as simple (and helpful to them) as flight preferences.
But you make a great point. A learning discovery, I think, helps to build the relationship and trust over time when a company uses the information to be more relevant to their customers. This give the advantage that the company can talk to customers in a way that its competitors can't, because it knows more about you and your preferences than its competitors do. This helps to create a "stickiness" to the relationship.
Perhaps I'm being too detailed, but one could assume, based upon where you live/work, preference for airports. Or, in NY or other cities (Chicago) where there are more than one airport, why not ask and start a learning discovery dialog to be used later on? Customers probably wouldn't take this as intrusive.
Delta does have some information, but if for example, you live in New York, you may prefer LaGaurdia over JFK and that may not be obvious from the information they have. You may also be interested in flights to or from other cities because you visit family or do business there.
I'm a bit suprised that Delta doesn't have data that could be used to segment their customers so that a somewhat personalalized email, that is relevant and timely is the result. It's hard, not easy, and I don't have all the details of the Delta situation.
It also helps to know who your tough customers are. If they have legitimate reasons to criticize your business, they represent valuable and actionable intelligence. If you can turn them around, they become evangelists.