Is it me, or are all Dry Cleaners crazy?

This morning I got a call from the doorman in my building who said the dry cleaner wanted to speak with me (is that like being sent to the principal's office?). So...he gets on the phone (without introducing himself) and proceeds to yell and tell me that there is a $15 minimum for pick up and did I have anything else. Well, let's see - why would I keep my dirty laundry in hiding upstairs and just drop off one pair of pants? NO, I DON'T HAVE ANYTHING ELSE, OR YOU WOULD SEE IT?!?!?!?

I said I was never told that there was a minimum and besides, because I was so annoyed I told him just to leave my dirty pants in the lobby and "fugget abowd it" I'll come get them later.

Because I was on the phone with a client, I did not make a big deal of this however, afterward I thought "you've already made the trip to my building anyway, what's one more pair of dirty pants? and...why would you turn down business, especially from a new customer [with a blog?!?!?]" then, I got angry when I started thinking of all my other dry cleaner exeriences of late and thought "is it me?"...

So...as anyone who has been reading this blog knows, I have recently moved. Therefore, I need all new services including dry cleaning. So far, I have gone to 3 local dry cleaners, only 1 of which has been even civil to me despite that I have spent lots of money with them and gotten abused in various ways.

The first one didn't speak English and neither did his workers when he is not there. This is all well and good if it's a simple drop off but not when you have questions (which I did) or need alterations (which by the way are a HUGE income stream for them)....

The second one was closed even tho the sign on the door said they should have been open....

The third one was nice enough and even did a good job of alterations (since I was still in need from drycleaner #1), however the parking is horrible there and it is otherwise not in a convenient location for me.

So now, I come to find out that my building has this service (shouldn't the owner of this company have some kind of marketing in place to notify all new homeowners of this. I've been here for 6 months???) so I figure, OK I'm busy - I'll give it a shot. And so...once again, I find myself at the mercy of some crazy dry cleaner.

So...I went downstairs to pick up my dirty pants (thanks very much) and the doorman gave me a printout of this service's prices on which it says there is a $15 minimum (sure, NOW you tell me)...also there is his phone number. Which I just called. The outgoing message gives no indication the phone number is a business (yet another marketing mistake) and just says to leave a message, which I did. I leave it to your imagination as to the content of my message.

Is it me, or are all the dry cleaners in the world independently wealthy and just doing this service because they're on a mission to keep the world clean?

Do you have a dry cleaner (or other similar business) experience? If so, I'd love to hear about...

Customer Data Collection & Use

Most businesses are in their heavy selling season now. Along with this increase in customer traffic (both inquiries & purchases) is an opportunity to collect customer data for use in future marketing campaigns.

There are many legalities and policies - too many to name here - however be aware that you must ask permission to collect and use data. This includes: phone and email. For specifics, go to www.the-dma.org. This site contains information and downloadable policies for your use. Once you have a handle on the policies THEN implement the procedures for use in your marketing strategy.

For example: I recently stopped by a local boutique in my new neighborhood. At the cash register I was asked if I would like to sign up for their promotions. I said yes & gave them my contact information including address, phone, and email. Weeks went by & I never heard from them. Then I received a postcard from them inviting me to attend a fund raiser event for a local charity at their store one evening. That's a nice gesture & certainly a good marketing effort for the community at large, however, they missed a HUGE opportunity.

What they should have done was immediately (within 24 hours) send me a Welcome email & a thank you for my business. Ideally, this should have come from the saleswoman who helped me (& no doubt makes commission). The email should have stated their days/hours of operation as well. Also, they took my size info, favorite colors, etc. but NEVER used any of it. Sadly, they missed a tremendous opportunity. To this day I have never recevied an email from them.

Because I support small, independent businesses whenever I can (I hate shopping malls!!) I am their prime target market. I recently went back to the store & spoke to the owner & gave him my business card & told him what I could do for him. To which he replied "we have an advertising agency".

So...I just wonder: Has anyone from the agency staff shopped at the store? I suppose not - they simply created a pretty postcard announcing the event & used their mail indicia to mail to the customer list. I suppose that's one way to do it, but there is so much more that marketing encompasses - especially at this time of year. Take a cue from online businesses who usually get this right & understand the value of customer contact information.

For more tips and "isms", go to http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com to make the most of your holiday opportunities.

Welcome!

Welcome to my blog!

I am celebrating my new site at http://www.myaffordablemarketing.com/ - THE site that advocates 'affordable, accessible marketing for all'....

My new site was created for small business owners, entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals who need SOLUTIONS not 'consultants'.

Please browse this site and be sure to check out my Marketing Solutions page where clear deliverables and pricing are listed so you know what you are getting before you pay for it!

Have a comment? Thought? Please let me know at randye@myaffordablemarketing.com.

Always remember that you don't need a million dollar marketing budget, just million dollar ideas implemented with your success in mind!

Happy marketing!

Randye

PS - I still haven't heard from the company I referred to in my first post...have you had an irritating marketing experience too? If so, I'd love to hear about it. Let's change the world of marketing together - one experience at a time!

Is your back end up to par?

The other day I received a direct mail offer from a local paint/design store chain here in Connecticut. In the envelope was a letter from the President and a plastic wallet card that I should keep and use to redeem my special offers.



The letter congratulated me on becoming a new homeowner (thx very much) and said I am entitled to a special offer which includes a 10% discount on all paint purchases PLUS an at-home consultation with an interior designer for just $100. Great - sign me up!



I stopped by the store where I was ignored by the paint department staff and encountered many unfriendly "DO NOT TOUCH" hand made signs on various items on the shelves. Hmmmm....



Then I wander over to the decorating area where a friendly (yet non-design staff) woman explained to me how the service worked. She took my business card and said a designer would call me to set up my in-home consultation. That was 4 days ago. Hmmmm....



As I write this I am looking around at my new space which due to various demo projects looks sort of like a living room having a really bad day. I have paint trays, rollers and blue tape all ready to go but NO PAINT.



They completely blew it. I was ready (in fact, eager) to buy right then & there (had my swatches with me) and they lost me. Their marketing took me from a name on a new homeowners list as a lead, to a prospect, to an "I want to buy from you" [almost] customer.



So, in the end (pun intended) the moral of the story is be absolutely sure your back end supports your front end marketing dollars. After all, isn't that why you're spending lots of money on creative, print, graphics, postage, etc.? If your employess don't support your marketing efforts you're wasting your money, but more importantly, your customers time. Perhaps I should send the President an invoice for my time along with a proposal for my marketing training services?



What are your thoughts?