Being a Valued Customer

Yesterday afternoon, I went out to check the mail and was greeted by some junk mail from AT&T. Usually, I just take junk mail and enjoy some high-tech stress relief. However, for some reason, I actually looked at who the letter was addressed to: Valued Customer.

This got me thinking about junk mail and marketing and how you can potentially turn anonymous people into customers. I don’t think that AT&T really went about things the right way.

If the company who is sending me the materials pays money to buy a list with my address on it, I think that they should spend the time or pay the money to at least find out who I am. They are printing all these form letters telling me that I am a “valued customer” and all, but haven’t even spent the time to learn my name. How is that showing me that I am valued? If they had put my name in the address line, I probably would have opened the letter before deciding it was junk mail. Perhaps I may have even taken action on it, since it would have appeared more personalized. Instead, it just went into the trash with everything else.

Take some time to think about how your interactions with customers make them feel valued and whether you have spent the time to learn more about those you serve. Have some suggestions on how to do just that? Leave them in the comments.