You didn’t ask for it, but we’re dishing it out anyway.
Welcome to Unsolicited Advice, where I dish out some content marketing guidance to one unsuspecting target – whether they want it or not.
This month, I offer advice to the CEO of a customer relationship management software company that needs a lesson on the value of customer relationships.
Dennis Fois
CEO
Copper CRM
Dear Mr. Fois,
Your customer experience is appalling. And for a company that sells a customer relationship management platform, that’s shocking.
Don’t get me wrong. I’ve enjoyed using your SaaS product for four years – so much so that I’ve spent $10,240 with you. Your tool is fast, integrates nicely with our workflow, and has helped my company close $2 million worth of business.
But instead of upgrading my account with Copper, I’m canceling my subscription.
Why? Because it’s clear you don’t honestly believe in cultivating enduring relationships – even though that’s what your about page claims you want to help customers do.
A few weeks ago, I reached out to your customer success team with a few straightforward questions about functionality found only in your premium-tier software subscription.
Obviously, I was interested in upgrading. All I needed were a few encouraging words, a demo of the enhanced functionality, and someone to take my money.
Instead, I interacted with team members who were slow to respond, curt, and unhelpful. Sadly, not one of your team members offered to assist with the upgrade. No one even pointed me to an existing demo.
That’s pathetic.
Mr. Fois, today everyone is in marketing and sales – even your customer service team.
If you’re not offering content that enables self-service, then you’d better work on your human-to-human service.
On that same about page, you claim, “(W)ith Copper, your business will grow the right way: with loyal customers for life.” Clearly, you don’t eat your own dog food.
Here’s the deal. I’m not coming back.
But if you rethink the experience you provide the customers you serve today, you might stop someone just like me from leaving tomorrow.
Whether you wanted it or not,
Andrew Davis
Host and author, The Loyalty Loop
Cover image by Joseph Kalinowski/Content Marketing Institute