Relationship Marketing

In the Relationship Marketing Strategy article, chapter 3, there was an interesting survey. The two questions that I would like to look at are numbers one and ten.

Question one reads:
If I don’t get a live person when I phone a customer service line, I am disappointed.
54% Strongly Agree; 33% Somewhat Agree; 7% Neutral; 5% Somewhat Disagree; and 1% Strongly Disagree

Question 10 reads:
I like it when telemarketers address me by name, even if I have never done business with them before.
2%; 6%; 11%; 16%; and 65%

I just think it is interesting that when we call customer service we want to talk to a stranger; but when a stranger is calling us we want nothing to do with them or whatever organization they’re involved with. However, I also think question one is a loaded question…is it really that we want to talk to a customer service representative (who we can’t understand 99% of the time) or is it that we just want our issue to be resolved and we think that a human being can do it in the least amount of time? I believe that if consumers could resolve their issues faster, without talking to the customer service representative they would. (Although, being a customer service rep for sometime I have come to realize that more people than you would think use their friendly, human customer service representative as a therapist quite often).

Now, about question 10…Why so many strongly disagrees, is it just that it is creepy when someone you don’t know calls your house and knows your name? I guess my question is…why wouldn’t they use your name (even if they do pronounce it wrong)? They found your number, don’t you think they are going to utilize their amazing research skills by asking for you by name? Question 10 is also a loaded question because it’s not about them addressing you by name (at least I don’t think it is), it’s about telemarketers in general. And to apply this concept to nonprofits, this should really reinforce the idea that you shouldn’t cold call people because it just creeps them out and they say, “aren’t I on the national do not call registry????” Well, just a little FYI, when you ask a person who claims to be calling on behalf of a nonprofit this question, expect a fight….my fight with a nonprofit that will remain nameless actually lasted a good 15 minutes because I was trying to explain to them that…well, that’s irrelevant and only further emphasizes the discussion in that marketers should consider consumer’s communication preferences (and if they have one at all). But, wouldn’t you think that nonprofits would get the hint that people don’t like to be bothered with their calls? For goodness sake, as Americans we banded together to create the national DO NOT CALL REGISTRY for a reason and it involves not calling.