Heads, Marketing Wins; Tails, Customers Lose

You can imagine the conversation.

Marketing Department: “We need to visually demonstrate how many free features come with all of our corporate accounts!”

Voice of Customer Representative (most like an idealistic intern given that title only to make the bank feel more responsive to its customers): “But that’s not really helpful. We need to show how the accounts differ for this visual to be really helpful.”

Marketing: “Customers want to know about all the free features they’ll receive.”

VoC Rep: “No, customers want to be fully informed so they can make the best decisions for their business. Plus, this visual is going to appear on the ‘Account Comparison’ page of our website. Shouldn’t it actually, you know, compare the accounts?”

Marketing: “Fine, since your dad is CEO, we’ll add a ‘Strengths & Benefits’ row that talks about the few ways the accounts differ.



VoC Rep: “Okay, but why don’t we present the features that differ item-by-item instead of clumping them  all under ‘Strengths & Benefits’? This is a mess to read, and we could easily lay it out just like we do with the ‘free’ features.”

Marketing: “We need to emphasize how many free features there are. That’s what marketing does.”

VoC Rep: “Oh. And is marketing going to list the monthly fees, minimum/maximum balance requirements, and other differentiating account features that would actually make this visual useful to the businesses trying to make an informed decision?”

Marketing: “Customers want to know about all the free features they’ll receive. And aren’t you supposed to be getting coffee or something?”

* * * * * * *

Listen to the intern. Listen to your Customer Advocates (if you have any).

Make it easier for companies to work with you, not harder.

Become magnetic.