As a customer, do I care about a Forrester report? Do I heck!

Tags: customer service, forrester, SaaS, email marketing, personalisation

My oh my no. I want to be treated with respect and communicated to like someone who has put you where you are Mr Big CEO Man.

I received an email yesterday. An email from a company who I am a customer of and also a competitor to. I won't reveal a name, but suffice to say it encouraged me.

A few years ago, I was taught a little phrase WII FM (what's in it for me). Clearly this person never quite got the same message.

So, it's subject line was highlighting a report from a CEO who is obviously very proud of his position and thinks it matters to his customers. Anyway, he was offering his customers (paying customers I might add) a report showing how great the company were and how Forrester thought so too.

Wonderful you may think. A bit of news for whoever wrote it (and let's be honest, it wasn't the CEO)... I just don't care! It read like an email to employees which, as an employee you'd probably be forced to read.

Hell, I'm a customer, not an employee. I'm happy using your product. I don't care how big your ego have got. I want to know that you're working to make my life better... which means fixing bugs, new features - or maybe asking me what would make my experience better. However, the email seemed to highlight that they were more interested in striving to be noticed more amongst their competitors and make more money (being mentioned next to IBM, Microsoft matters to the PR guy... again, not me!). Not one mention of trying to help the customer.

What was even more superb was that this email went on and on about things which most users won't even think about. SaaS anyone?? (Ok so I know what it means, but still how many marketers think about that when they wake up?

By this point I was nearly asleep, but knew I had to read on to have a proper gaffaw.

Finally got to the bottom when he got to the point. "Get a free copy of the report worth $xxxx". Fabulous. So I pay you money and you want to give me a report which is actually worth nothing to me as a customer.

But do you know what? What really got my goat. What really wound me up. He has my name. He has the technology to send and track emails. He has the ability to know about unsubscribes. Then why was this email addressed to "Dear *company name* Customers"? Not even singular. Plural. "Customers"??

Then further into the email and it said "whether you are previous or existing customers". So you can't even be bothered to check to see if I'm paying you?

My, this report must be worth something!!!

To me it's a big pat on their own back. So proud of their product. The typical product centric organisation, no clue about their customers or what they want, just after accolades and paying to be involved in reports. Congratulations. You did that.

It really cleared my head this morning. It made me proud to be someone who does care about our customers. I don't consider myself anything special, but every one of my customers, friends and colleagues is important to me and I'll strive to give them my attention when they need it so that when they have a problem, request or idea - I'm there to help make it happen.

Isn't it lovely that someone believes they've got so big, it doesn't matter anymore? I couldn't even send him an email... only sales@ email address.

Pah. If anybody wants a copy of the report, it's here, I'd just need to send it to you (and no we're not on it). And if you want to know the name of the company, tweet me (http://twitter.com/rob_hallums) and I'll let you know.