When will companies ever learn that "opt-out" kills!

I got a wonderful email today from Whirlpool.  They were kind enough to inform me that their corporate privacy policy had changed in November of last year.  Specifically, Whirlpool's e-mail communication policy has gone from "opt-in" to "opt-out". 

It was nice of them to notify me of this change three months after it was made. If Whirlpool sent me any notifications prior to making the change, I don't recall them.  But maybe that was the intent.

The timing is amazing, because I have been busy this week trying to unsubscribe from the DAILY emails I get from FTD.  Geez, for a florist, they sure do have a penchant for sending out emails.  I'm guessing that the person responsible for developing FTD's email strategy must be a volunteer, because I can't believe anyone would actually get paid for creating such a horrible email communication plan.

I don't mind receiving offers or gentle reminders when holidays are approaching that might require purchasing flowers, like Valentine's Day or Mother's Day.  But the onslaught of daily emails only resulted in complete frustration!  I got tired of hitting "delete" day after day, and finally went to their website multiple times to try and unsubscribe.  Does FTD think that this type of marketing is going to turn me into a loyal customer?  If so, then they truly don't understand permission marketing or brand loyalty.  I will probably never purchase from them again because I don't want to fall victim to another tsunami of emails.

Whirlpool will likely run into the same problem if they begin force-feeding unwanted messages to anyone who has the audacity to contact them.  Nothing will turn off a consumer faster than an in-box filled with unsolicited emails from the same company.  Perhaps they think that because they are FTD and/or Whirlpool, that we want to bury ourselves in their branded communications.  However, if they don't rethink their opt out strategy, the only thing they'll be burying is their profits.

Please marketers, do yourself a favor...don't adopt an opt-out strategy for your email communications.  It just seems illogical to require consumers to choose "not to communicate with you". 

Overselling can kill the customer experience

Most retailers teach their associates the art of "up selling". That is, how to convince a customer that an extra item would enhance the one they are looking to buy, or that a more expensive version might be a better option. Up selling is most common in retail outlets where associates work off of commission or bonuses.

However, there are dangers to up selling if the associate appears too aggressive or anxious to get you to spend more money. It can alienate the customer and damage the brand loyalty that may have otherwise been developed.

I recently returned from a brief respite at a beautiful golf resort in central Virginia with my family. One day I got a nice massage that was quite enjoyable. I really appreciated how the masseuse explained to me each element of the massage so that I understood its intent and how it would help relax my sore muscles. She also shared this information in such a manner that it didn't interfere with my relaxation and the soft, calming music that was playing in the background.

After the massage, I was preparing to return to the locker room to shower, then pay on my way out, when the masseuse began hard selling me on a collection of oils and skin care products that I really had no interest in buying. That brief moment of overselling turned a good customer experience into a bad one.

I would have preferred that she just explain the benefits of each oil that was used, while letting me know that they were available for purchase if I was interested, rather than try to force them down my throat while I was walking down the hall in a bathrobe.

Just a note to the wise: It's OK to teach your associates and sales teams the art of up-selling, but don't incentivize them so much on those sales that it leads to a damaged customer experience and lack of trust in your brand.

You know why car dealerships have such bad reputations? Because they are so focused on squeezing every possible dollar out of each sale. Dealerships and their sales associates fail to recognize that they can generate significantly more revenue through return customers and referrals than they can by misleading customers into paying for extras they neither need nor want. They are willing to sacrifice long term brand equity for short term sales by up selling customers on virtually everything. They oversell!

Often a soft sell or presentation of "options" is a better tactic, and one that is more likely to secure a loyal customer.