Good Marketing vs. Lousy Product

Like many people, we like to support local restaurants and occasionally bring in dinner.

My bride is a great believer in delivery services, while I’m willing to pick up. My way, I figure, is faster, cheaper, and provides more situational control.

My attitude was reinforced during the Great Christmas Debacle, in which DoorDash canceled our order without our permission. Fortunately, Chin’s Chinese made good on DoorDash’s incompetence, but I’ve sworn off delivery services since.

Then Uber Eats sent us a $30 coupon to try their service, and my resolve buckled. We placed our order, settled into the last two episodes of FIREFLY LANE, and waited. And waited. And waited.

Dinner finally showed up an hour late because Uber Eats couldn’t find a driver to deliver our dinner. When they did find a driver, he got lost. Twice.

Think of it: Between strategizing, mailing lists, email campaign, and coupon, Uber invested heavily to make that sale. Then they blew it on delivery…the very service you’re hiring them for.

Naturally, our dinner arrived cold. No hot soup, no warm fuzzies. Anticipating a relaxing evening turned into hostility towards folks supposedly making our lives easier.  

Customers are funny, expecting you to provide the services you offer. Smart business owners under-promise and over-deliver.  

It’s a lesson Uber Eats seems to have forgotten…but you shouldn’t.

Because whatever you sell, you’ve got competition looking for an opportunity to steal your customers. If you’re unable to fulfill your promises, you’re guaranteed to lose.

Mom taught me you get one chance at a first impression. As you’re developing your own marketing materials, check carefully that you have the capacity to fulfill any promises you’re making.

Okay, sure there will be problems now and again, and how you handle those also says much about your business. You might even salvage a troubled relationship with an acknowledgement, apology, and a make-good.

As for us, we’re back to picking up our meals. Both Door Dash and Uber Eats screwed up, and neither has said a word to us. You can be sure we’re telling all our friends, though.

At day’s end it’s not only critical to successfully sell oneself, but also to leave customers happy. Without that you are, as they say in Texas, “All hat, and no cattle.”

With that said, I wish you a week of profitable marketing.

------------
Get a free marketing newsletter at www.marketbuilding.com.