Yaffe Tidbits

"Buy American" vs. free tech support

  Did Dell missstep in marketing it's new tech support service? Dell, the nation's leading retailer of computers, annouced this week that they will offer tech support by "American" based technicians, if you're willing to pay $13 a month for the service or $99 per year if you purchase a new Dell computer. If you're willing to talk to someone from India, the Phillipines or somewhere else overseas, tech support is free.

Responses to Dell's new policy that I've heard or read have not been good. They've either been along the "l should never have to pay for good tech support" to "they're catering to racism and fears." I personally would never pay for tech support. I have talked to Dell tech support that I'm pretty sure was from India and my service was fine. But, I think if Dell was going to do this, they could have handled it better.

Maybe it's because I live in Detroit where the "buy American" sentiment is probably about the strongest in the country - due to the big three automakers being such a big part of our economy. But, it seems that instead of just putting it out there as an alternative for those who are put off by foriegn accents, they could have played off the whole "buy American" idea. Afterall, our economy is hurting and so many jobs are going overseas. The trouble of the car makers is national news. I think if Dell had marketed this as a way to help the economy and keep Americans working, more people would have looked at this as a more positive thing. I might consider paying extra to keep Americans employeed rather than as a way to not have to listen to an accent. What about you? How do you feel about Dell's new policy? Would a buy American message have been more positive to you?

Mike McClure, ECD

The amazing "social" part of social media

I gave $10 to someone yesterday whom I've never met, seen or talked to. I logged onto Paypal and gave him the money. It wasn't much, but it felt like something I had to do. Why? Because the reality of the social aspects of social media came crashing into my computer yesterday morning while I worked. I often talk about why companies and brands need to be involved in social media. And we talk a lot about social marketing.

But, sometimes we forget the key word. Social. Social media is way we are all connected. Lives are intermixed in ways never possible before. And through this medium, I had a front row seat to a riveting and heart-wrenching tale as it unfolded live.

At 9:33 a.m. yesterday I got this tweet from Michael Martine, "Tweeting this from the hospital. Jeep hit ice and slid right off the highway and hit a rock wall. I am miraculously unscathed. Need coffee." Michael is the writer of Remarkablogger, a social marketing blog I read. I also follow him on Twitter, which is how I was getting this message. Over the next few hours, he sent updates from the hospital. Reading his Twitter comments over the morning, I rode along his emotional journey that had its highs "OMG you people are amazing. I can hardly see, my eyes are filled with tears. Thank you." and its lows "I'm screwed - only car may not B recoverable. Bills R paid but after that I'm strapped. If U can pls donate" You can read about his experience on his own blog here.

It was a unique experience. This was someone I only sort of knew through our social media contact. But someone I did feel I knew. When he asked for help, I felt a kinship and felt I should so something, even if it was a small bit. Now, as a thank you, he's giving a free blogging webinar this Friday. Whether you donate or not, you can be a part of it. Just sign up here.

Sometimes we need a reminder that social media isn't just about making business contacts or learning online or marketing. It's about people connecting with other people in a very real way. My daughter has friends all over the world who share her passion for Japanese metal band Dir en grey. I have become friends with a fellow Detroit creative director whom I've never met. I've found lost friends that I had no idea where they were. Social media is a great tool for marketers. But, it's a great tool for humans, too. What's your story?

Mike McClure, ECD - follow me on Twitter @mikekmcclure

How important are user reviews to your business?

My garage door is broken. I need to find a company to fix it and don’t have a clue who to ask or where to look. In the real world I’d go to my friendly yellow pages book and look under garage door repair. Well, that’s exactly what I did except I went to yellowpages.com. Once there, I found 46 companies listed for my local area. Whew, so many choices, so many options, which one to pick?

It became extremely easy when I looked at the user review section. Only 3 of the 46 companies had reviews. Company A had 17 reviews, Company B had 12 reviews and Company C had 1 review.  I don’t know anyone that has used any of these companies personally. So I did the next best thing. I used the voices of strangers to help guide my selection. Guess which 2 companies I called?

There were 43 companies that weren’t even considered because they didn’t have any reviews. I’m sure that there are some fine reputable companies in that group. In fact, I wouldn’t be surprised if they all were. But, in today’s competitive environment every merchant needs to differentiate themselves from their competition. Good old fashioned customer testimonials still work…even in today’s online environment. If I were a Yellow Page sales rep, I’d hammer that home to each of my clients.

 

Mike Morawski

Chief Development Officer