Let's Play Two Today

By Colleen Walsh Fong

The personal touch in our professional writing and communications sets us apart from the crowd.

Ernie Banks, the late and great, used to rally the fans by saying, “Let’s play two today!” His enthusiasm for the Cubs and for Cub fans is legendary. It played a key role in helping to forge a lasting loyalty from more than one generation of die-hard Cub fans. Some days we want to curse him for it. But it’s impossible to stay mad at Mr. Cub. He was never too big or too busy to take a picture with a fan at the iconic red brick walls. Or to sign an autograph after deplaning at O’Hare following a long road trip, no matter the hour.

That’s the thing about people and personal connections. The Cubs can, and do, fall short of baseball’s big award year after agonizing year. But Cub fans keep coming back for more because they have an emotional bond. They don’t jump ship to more winning teams. They can’t. Fandom is in their DNAs.

It’s not like Chicago is a one-team town. The White Sox abide 71 blocks south and 7 blocks to the east. And it’s a shorter drive to Milwaukee’s Miller Park for some Metro-Chicago residents than it is to either Chicago baseball stadium.

Cub fans have options. So do online service users. And as business owners or managers it’s important to realize that our clients do, too.

Last week I announced my Brick & Ivy Awards for online companies who get goose eggs on my customer service scorecard. We’re using a baseball analogy here, so check Part I to get all caught up. And then hurry back here to see who’s getting nominated.

My Nominees for the Brick and Ivy Awards

I commend three online entities for their remarkable indifference to their users’ satisfaction by nominating the following companies for a Brick and Ivy Award:

Google

Let’s face it. It all starts here, so I will too.

My first nomination goes to Google. And that includes Google anything and everything from analytics to docs. They’ve got a great search engine. I use it successfully multiple times every day. It’s when I enter the Google nine-square that the troubles begin.

Have you ever tried to get a response from any of the products connected to those nine little squares on the top banner of your Google page? Those who try are directed to FAQ’s. If the answer can’t be found there, they move to linked menus. The links go to little blurbs about the problem users may or may not be experiencing. “Not” has been the prevailing experience for me.

Users who can’t find a solution there, and who are diligent enough to spend a lot of time mousing around in Google’s cavernous system, may finally uncover a contact link. It can be used to send an email asking for help. After hitting the send button a notice appears on the screen stating that the email has been received but Google does not guarantee a response. I wonder what would happen if the average small business tried that.

But hats off to Google for its amazing chutzpah!

Fiverr

If Google weren’t so pervasive in everything we do online Fiverr would be my top pick. I think of it as just one amuse bouche in a huge buffet of online vendors and exposure ops. But it really ticked me off, so it gets #2.

For more details, read Failerr, and see what you think.

Twitter

#wedon’tgivenosatisfaction #figureitoutyourself Read about my experience here

If you’ve used Twitter the above message may be all you need to know. But if you don’t use it or just want the details click on the word “here” in the above tweet.

Nominations Are Open

Do you have an internet company to nominate for a Brick & Ivy Award? Tell me about it in the comment box below.

But lest you think I’m just a technically incompetent grouch I have to say it’s not all bad out there. There are some real diamonds in the electronic realm and I’ll name them in another set of awards you won’t want to miss. Check back here next week to hear all about the Pin Stripe Awards.

Reader Take-Away

Cub fans have options, but they don’t use them. That’s because the Cubs, and key team members over the years, have built fan loyalty through personal communications. Our clients have options, too. It’s important for businesses to build user loyalty by adding the personal touch to all of our communications. And if you’re busy, as most of us are, I’m happy to lend a hand in the communication department. Just contact me here.

Colleen produces custom copywriting and content for branding businesses of all sizes.