The State of Marketing: Clueless
Clueless
Ivana and I have been talking, ranting and bitching about bad marketing since we first met, that and bad service, which are the same thing really. Seth Godin, who's posts i often miss as he does not get the point of RSS titles, just posted 3 wonderful examples of clueless marketing and/or missed opportunities.
The last one i'll quote you, because it's beautiful. You just couldn't pay someone to make this stuff up!
A woman is first in line. She's withdrawing $1,000 from her account. The teller pushes away from the desk and goes and gets her signature card (this is a neighborhood bank) to match it against the woman's signature on the withdrawal slip.
The customer tells me that:
1. the teller has been working there for twenty years.
2. the customer comes in at least once a week.
3. they always check her signature
and, ready for this...
4. she's been a customer at this bank for seventy years. I am not making this up. She is very proud that she's nearly (nearly!) their longest-serving customer. The account is more than seventy years old. And they check her signature.
Clueless.
Wasn't that great? How to be an utter nobhead, repeatedly over the course of 70yrs - luvverly :)
Sheeple
Sheeple are people that follow the rules without regard to common sense. The last two bits of Seth's are perfect examples of sheeple in action.
Another example, from when I lived in Nashville.
Entering the bank:
Teller; Good morning Mr. Bloomfield.
Me: G'morning
Teller: What can I do for you today Dean?
Me: I need to make a withdrawal.
Teller: Okay Dean, may I have your account number and see your ID?
Me: (With a bemused smile) Of course.
Slavish devotion to rules, at the expense of annoying people. (customers) yet it seems that the officious, clueless, "details oriented" people are always first in line for promotions. Peter Principle in action.
I had a tractor that needed service. So I call the local service center. I was put on hold, then transferred three times, until I got the "Service Manager", who told me that I had to call the "Regional Center" as my tractor was still under warranty. He gave me the number, I called. Two transfers later the Regional Service Manager directed me to "National Service Claims". So I call them, only to get transferred to the "National Service Claims" manager's assistant. Who promptly told me that all warrantied service claims are handled by local service centers, of which, she promptly gave me the correct number, which was, you got it, the local "Service Manager" I had spoken to on the first call.
Clueless? It goes way beyond that. Inept comes to mind.
Well
Its maybe not bad service, it could well be the law. Banks really do operate within very tight confines at least over here in the UK, go try and withdraw a grand from NatWest and see.
NFFC
Try £995 instead, Fatwest dont ask for shit then, 1K is threshold.
One I dont get though is pub in the US. You can be out having a few beers and the oldest geezer in the party (grandfather age) gets asked for ID. Apparently only a passport will do......
yeah right, I am on the lash in some US city, the last thing I am going to do is take out the most important document I have out on the on the piss!
...back to the hotel chaps
ukgimp
If your in the States, you had better keep that passport glued to you, never leave it anywhere or with anyone, even in a hotel safe.
When the US cops ask for ID you had better be able to produce it pronto.
I think Ian Turner can testify to that...
Sheeple
I LOVE THAT!
DG did you make that up? I want to steal it. I can't believe I never thought of or heard it before. Always saying "people are sheep" but Sheeple...that's beautiful!
I think it was
Barbara Anderson that coined it. Bit of disagreement on that, but that's the earliest mention I can find.
Sheeple..
Wouldn't you know, Google for it, and someone is there already Sheeple.net
Sheeple.com is registered, but not working
Dr. Seuss
Dr. Seuss would have written an awesome story about that and Sheeples. I think there actually was a Seuss story about following the people in front of you...but I don't think he mentioned assholes or sheeples. I'm gonna see if I can figure out what it was.
[added]
Okay, I found the story I was thinking of, but it doesn't quite fit the sheeple thing. It was King Louie of Katzenstein, and it was about the King needing his tail being held up by another cat, and the other cat needing his held up, and so on and so forth. Not quite a sheeple thing, unfortunately!
(If anyone cares, finally the last cat in line realized no one would hold his up, and slammed the tail he was holding, to the ground. The others did the same and in the end they all held their own tails up!)
At the state fair...
My friend was getting a personalized braclet for her boyfriend, whose name was "Bob".
The lady asked, "Do you spell that with one 'O' or two?"
I always report bad service, but I also make it a point to find the management and tell them about GOOD service I get.
Everyone is willing to bitch about bad service, but so few people remark on good service.
Thing is ..
grnidone, in most cases good service is the minimum you should expect. It is like lame-assed marketers thinking "quality" is a benefit to shout about. "Hey, let's go to this company, they say they are 'quality' on their glossy brochures!". Everyone should always get good service, but granted, *exceptional* service should be noted and rewarded :O)