Fire This Person Today!

It’s time to make a statement. The start of a new year demands swift action. I want you to take a moment and tell me who this person is (answer below) once you identify him/her would you do your current customers and your potential customers a huge favor — fire them!

Here are the characteristics of this “Employee”:

• He/She is a blockade, a “gate-keeper” keeping customers away;
• He/She is often very sweet spoken, but impossible to communicate with;
• He/She really doesn’t want others bothered and so customers/clients are often given the “run around” and ignored;
• He/She is not an asset to your business but a major liability.

Know who this is? It is you — if you are using an automated program on your phone system. Today I called three business locations. A media company, an insurance company and a farmer membership company, all of which are based in Des Moines, IA. I was able to connect with zero humans. Zero! I would name you, however you already KNOW who you are.

You can do better! Why would you put barriers in front of your customers and clients? Please tell me why you would not FIRE this “employee”? In the name of everything holy, stop! Having “automated answering” is like telling your customers you don’t give a damn.

Please stop putting barriers in front of your customers and clients. You exist because of your customers, don’t hide from them. And if you decide to keep your current method of “communication” you deserve to go out of business, the day after tomorrow. Hello? Anybody there?

Taken with permission from Michael Libbie’s Insight Advertising-Marketing Communications blog: insightadvertising.typepad.com/weblog/ and featured on DesMoinesRegister.com. Libbie’s company is a member of our Supplier Associate Section and he is this year’s chairman of that section. Libbie can be contacted by email at Michael@insightcubed.com.