Paul Sloane’s column and the customer service feature (March, p13 and p28) provide an interesting contrast on the state of marketing. In a refreshing foray into channels, Paul prompts marketers to innovate in the route to market. The feature claims customer service is the new marketing. Really? Isn’t it part of providing a complete “product”?
Digital channels don’t change the game, they just make lack of attention to detail and poor service more public by giving some customers a louder voice. Marketers who try to address poor customer service by dealing with the symptoms and reacting to adverse social media hum are only fire fighting.
They need to remember that product is part of the marketing mix and should work to fix the source of the problem, whether it be poor employee education or badly designed products. The motor industry did this 20 years ago. Why are service industries so slow to develop? Marketers forget, at their own, and their organisation’s peril, that there are three other Ps beyond promotion.
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