The Number of the Beast
by Joshua Tretakoff | EVP, Services
Do you know Frank Eliason? You should. He’s also known as Comcast Frank, or, more importantly, ComcastCares on Twitter. Frank singlehandedly put a face on the customer service for Comcast, realizing that the biggest reason why customers defected was that there was a perception of indifference or unresponsiveness. Instead of sitting on a phone tree waiting for a rep, just message @ComcastCares; Frank responds quickly and efficiently. Event better, Frank monitors Twitter for mentions of Comcast, and offers proactively to intercede on the customer’s frustrated behalf. In short, he completely changed the perception of Comcast from an indifferent behemoth to a proactive advocate.
Frank also writes his own blog. This week, he writes about his experience with a loyalty program on a flight. Read his trials and tribulations for yourselves: what is supposed to be a program that rewards you for loyalty only succeeded in putting him through so many bureaucratic hoops that it is almost worse than being treated anonymously.
What struck me was the complete lack of addressing the customer by name in the communications the airline used. Instead, they constantly used the Loyalty Number or Error Code; it felt almost Brazil-like. And, as Frank points out, the only warmth in the communication at all came from their ad in the e-mail to have you get a discount at Hertz. First and foremost in a loyalty program, remember its not about the points: it’s about the way to help make a customer into your best customer. Every message, interaction, communication, and customer experience needs to be viewed through the customer lens. No amount of points will make a customer forget being treated as just another number if you truly want their business.
