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It’s too bad that companies don’t yet have the systems to tell them who is a Raving Fan and who isn’t.
Or, who is someone who is a blogger, tweeter, etc. and who isn’t.
They look at Lifetime Value of the Customer, using sophisticated modeling tools, but they don’t yet have a Raving Fan Index that says “wow, this guy is really worth it.” (I’m working on it and own the domain RavingFanIndex.com)
Case in point.
I’ve blogged on my adoration and admiration of T-mobile’s customer service in the past. See: My Cell Phone Company Can Beat Up Yours..
I was so excited I wrote “T-mobile Freakin’ Rocks!” and I tell the story in every single presentation I give (over 50 times now).
So, that’s a lot of good, positive Word of Mouth for T-mobile.
And the fact that people know I am a fan of T-mobile means that I get news about them from multiple sources, including from 5 different sources yesterday that
Just wanted to let you guys know that T-Mobile has an unlimited voiceplan for $50 for anyone who has been a customer for over 22 months. I think you are my only two friends who would qualify. I had the 5 faves and 600 minutes, which also cost $50, so I switched and am pretty pumped. The plan is called the Unlimited Loyalty Plan
Now, I have been a customer for 10 years, so you would think I would qualify.
Naturally, I was surprised when the rep on the phone this AM told me that, according to her systems, I didn’t meet the criteria for the offer, which was based on
- length of time as a customer
- payment history (yes, I’ve been on time)
It was reserved for select customers and I just wasn’t one of them.
Well, naturally I felt let down.
Disappointed enough to blog about it.
And, as it happens, today is the day I’ve set aside for next iteration of my presentation and while the original story is still really good, it’s lost some of its luster.
I can’t blame T-mobile. How would they know that I am (was) a Raving Fan with a blog and a Twitter account and you as a reader?
Lesson: It’s not a secret that some customers are more valuable than others. What has changed is the definition of the value of a customer to include not just direct revenue generated but indirect revenue (and costs-in terms of marketing expenditures) saved by your Raving Fans.
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Comments
Telephone Story said on 3.12.2009 at 11:10 AM
I'm glad T-Mobile has worked for you. Be very careful about upgrades/deals that you talk about over the phone. When I was doing research on whether to switch, I was offered a deal with no specific time restriction. After less than one week, I called back to accept and T-Mobile recanted their offer, saying "That was a one-time, on-the-spot" offer. That little item was not mentioned in the initial call. In any event, to get T-Mobile's attention, I made a consumer complaint via the FCC web site, and, surprise! They honored their initial deal.
David H. said on 3.13.2009 at 9:57 AM
Well, it sounded like you DID qualify.
jdub said on 3.13.2009 at 2:17 PM
hmm. Did you or did you not objectively qualify? Just because someone not at the company said you qualified, doesn't mean you do, in fact, qualify. So, I don't know what the criteria were (you say length of time -- how long?) If you objectively met the criteria, why didn't you ask for a supervisor?
And, to be honest, if they have objective criteria you didn't meet, why would you feel that having a blog matters? The criteria aren't "who can publicize us more" (which they could do) but something else.