The company clearly understood the market. Early reviewers praised the product's performance. The product included all the right features and benefits.
It was obvious that the company had made a significant investment in branding its flagship solution. The name was short, crisp, and evocative. The logo was memorable. The promotion was compelling, frequent, and consistent.
At the heart of the company's pitch was the implication of a threat to my business if I continued to operate without its product. So I made a special trip to the store to purchase it right away.
Broken Promises Damage Brands
The problem was I couldn't install the product. What's more, it took 24 hours to locate someone who could.
After several hours on hold and several managers' promises to escalate the issue, I finally reached someone at the company's headquarters who succeeded in connecting me with a service person authorized to resolve the problem. She entered a functioning code, and the installation began in a matter of minutes.
The trouble was that in the intervening 24 hours, the company's failure to deliver on its promise had tarnished its reputation. Due to a series of post-sales mishaps, the company had counteracted months of well-executed marketing investments. What a shame.
Eight Steps You Can Take to Protect Your Brand
I learned a lot from that experience. Here are eight steps companies can take to protect their brands.
1. Recognize that a product is only as good as the customer experience
First impressions count. To identify all the elements that contribute to a good customer experience, include production and customer-facing personnel in your product-development process. Then, take steps to ensure that everything is in place.
2. Attempt to anticipate and address potential problems
Before going to market, test all aspects of the product's delivery. Defects tarnish the company's brand, and service calls erode profit margins.
3. Provide customers with recourse in the event of a product failure
Mistakes happen. So, always provide customers access to someone who can take corrective action—ideally by phone, with 24/7 availability. Many customers will forgive product failures if they can reach an empathetic support person who remedies the situation.
It's insufficient to refer customers to prepared "frequently asked questions." First, company personnel often miss questions that real customers have. Second, customers regard answers that don't squarely address their questions as defects, rather than signs of their own inadequacy.
