excellent fulfilment process from Tesco

It seems a while since I've found something positive to feature on this blog, but here is one. When I ordered a sat nav system online, not only did Tesco provide an online tracking facility [below], but delivered less than a couple of days after I ordered it. See the full story here.

putting-your-foot-in-it practice

This has been an issue with me for some time - I must write something more substantial about it some time - and I noticed it again when writing the previous entry to this blog. I'm talking about email footers - hence the poor play on words in the title of this entry.

The email from Tesco had, after the message, the following [and remember this was generated by an auto-responder]

Points to note:

(i) "Confidential" - you mean I cannot tell my wife. Oops, maybe I'm not supposed to be telling you?

(ii) "Monitor and record ..." - no great problem with that, it might even work in my favour.

(iii) "Views expressed ..." I'm sorry, the email's 'from' box says 'Tesco Customer Service'. Looks like Tesco is the sender to me, and as in the point I make in my previous 'practice' entry [good - but impersonal - practice] - the message is signed 'Tesco Customer Service' - and not by an individual who might be expressing their views.

Oh I know its all a legal thing - and it might be good legal practice. But it is bad marketing practice.

The aforementioned article I must get round to writing is on that subject - the message element of an email might be trying to foster a [business] relationship with me, then the 'legal' footer makes me feel most unwelcome.

Sorry businesses - you can't have both.

Sorry Tesco - I'm not picking on you, you were just handy at the time - most organizations have these footers.

good-but-impersonal practice

I sent a query about my Tesco Clubcard points [some were missing] using their online form. Within seconds I got an email which included the following:

This is good. It means I'm not wondering if they got the message or whether it disappeared into that great email black hole in the sky.

Shame they couldn't be a bit more personable, however. The form asks for my name - so why not use it in the greeting? [though there is the issue of 'Mr Charlesworth' or simply 'Alan']. The message is then presented in the first person - which I like, but it is signed 'Tesco Customer Service' - which I don't like.

OK, I know its an old trick, but if necessary make up a name [or names, rotate them on these auto-response messages] .

The message would have been so much more friendly if it was signed [something like] Dave in the Tesco Customer Service team. Technology would make it relatively easy to prompt whoever replies to my enquiry to start by saying - "Dave passed your message on to me ... ".

This auto-response is all part of an online CRM initiative strategy - why not try to develop that relationship you are trying to manage?

FOOTNOTE I : Tesco Customer Service actually replied to my enquiry the next day - and the email was signed off by a person's name [I'll assume Jeff exists]. Better still, my missing points are on my next statement. So rather than being picky about being impersonal, perhaps I should just applaud the excellent service.

FOOTNOTE II : ... and ten you had to go and spoil it all by ... [thank you Frank & Nancy]. After reading the reply featured in FOOTNOTE I I fired off an email saying simply, "excellent, thanks for your help" [what a nice chap I am]. And received ... the same automated reply as shown above.

[a] take foot [b] take gun [c] shoot [a] with [b].