Some people are always pushing the envelope.
Don Peppers is one of those people.
Listening to his closing keynote presentation at the Mega Event 2010, I enjoyed a refreshing set of new ideas and one of the most compelling calls to action for brands wishing to build customer loyalty and improve customer satisfaction.
Peppers talked about building customer loyalty in the context of digital media, a world that is untamed today and which stands to unleash further surprises on both consumers and businesses over the next few years.
Simplified, winning brands in the future will build “Trustability“, a loyalty version of Whuffie that more often than not will mandate trading a short term loss for a longer term gain. Those corporate executives who remain entranced by quarter-to-quarter delivery of numbers to meet the expectations of “the street”, may find Trustability to be an elusive commodity.
Peppers emphasized that brands do not have the option to treat customer service like an item they put on sale at the end of every quarter. Customer experience has to be delivered with sincerity and through associates which have either the power to make decisions on the spot or have access to systems and supervisors who are nimble enough to respond in real time to defuse customer angst.
From a loyalty perspective, Trustability means that breakage is a big no-no. Peppers reminded us that people don’t want their hard-earned miles nixed through fine print in the programs rules. In my lingo, the Loyalty Asterisk™ needs to be removed from every step of the loyalty value chain, especially at time of redemption.
Peppers reminded the group that Loyalty and profitability were flip sides of the same issue and that tweaking program rules to trigger short term gains would negatively impact customer loyalty over the longer term. The United Mileage Plus campaign that promises to be “the program that wants you to use your miles” is a great example of how to create Trustability through a loyalty program.
Peppers’ final exhortation reminded anyone listening that it is treacherous to attempt to compensate or fake your way to social media notoriety. In time, those who manipulate social networks thinking they can build a “persona” that enhances their business will be found out and reviled. Not just for today, but for a long time in the future.
Trust me, Don Peppers and Martha Rogers are right on this one.