Marketing That Works: The Follow Up

While at first glance, customer service may not appear to be part of marketing, it is. Everything your company does to promote itself falls under marketing. Following up is one of the key pieces in good customer service. Whether it’s after a sale, after meeting for the first time, or even after a complaint has been filed, followup is important, and yet often overlooked. Here are a few companies that have impressed me with their followup.

After I wrote last week’s Marketing That Works on Customer Experience, I acted on something that had been bothering me about my local Albertson’s. I used to always buy seafood there, but as of late, the smell was funky and the fish was old. I’m never shy about letting people know when their products don’t meet my expectations. So I got on their website and sent an email about my unhappiness with the fish department. I received an automated email saying someone would contact me within 24 hours. Then less than 1 hour later, the local store manager himself called me to find out exactly what the problem was, and let me know they had cleaned the drains to eliminate any unpleasant odor. Now that’s prompt followup.

A few days ago, I received a call from Land’s End. Immediately suspicious of a telemarketing pounce, I stiffened. Why were they calling? But the rep was just calling to ensure my previously placed order for my son’s uniforms went well. I relaxed. How often do you get a phone call asking if the order met your expectations? You can bet I’ll be ready to buy from them again (not that I have any choice, but that’s prep school for you).

A less personal example is the email you receive after you placed an order. Vistaprint is big on sending emails after you get your order (and suggesting other things you might like to buy), and Netflix follows up to ask when you received a movie (better improving their internal operations). Impersonal or not, it still goes a long way to make a consumer feel like the company is concerned that their needs get met.


How are you following up? See where you can fit in a follow up. Here are some ideas to get you started:

1. After meeting a potential client, follow up with a handwritten thank you card that includes your business card. Then call to set up a coffee date a few weeks later.
2. After an order is shipped, have a rep (or you) call to ensure the order met the customer’s expectations.
3. After an order, send a coupon for discount off future services, with a handwritten note.
-Susan
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