Listen to your customers

There are many different responses to customer and staff complaints—some better than others.

Over the years, we’ve seen people who wanted to incorporate every idea that came their way to ones who wouldn’t listen to a word anyone said.

In the past, an unhappy client told some 10 people about their negative experience.

Thanks to the Internet, if someone hits a nerve today that 10 people could be 1,000, 10,000 or more.

For one city in California, two complaints is all it takes to get someone’s ear.

For one state, it only takes five letters on a particular subject.

For forward-thinking business people, one complaint—one person upset enough to make waves—should be enough for the company to question how to do it better.

When people are willing to listen to their customers, it not only creates better service—or a better product—but keeps up with a fast-moving market.

Because if your business doesn’t do it today, someone else’s will tomorrow.

For more information, call Dell Richards Publicity (916) 455-4790 or visit us at www.dellrichards.com.

EEGs tell us if ads work or not

We were familiar with EEGs (electro- encephalographs) from public relations for a clinic that used quantitative EEGs to diagnose attention deficit disorders in children.

It was fascinating for us to hear that companies now are using a similar technology to check their advertising.

The technology still is not accepted by insurance companies—even though qEEGs can successfully diagnose various mental illnesses.

But cost doesn’t hold back businesses when EEGs can be used to make sure money spent on advertising gets the biggest bang for the buck.

Asking people questions in a qualitative focus group is notoriously dicey.

The target audience has to be determined in advance and the right people found to bring in.

Even then, people are loath to hurt feelings or be too different from the group to be completely honest.

Researchers also have to be careful not to sway the discussion or allow people with the strongest opinions to railroad others.

With computerization, people watch ads while their eye movements are tracked by means of 64 sensors attached to a cap they wear.

Pulses on a line graph show varying responses to the three most important sales points: attention, emotional response and memory retention.

Companies claim they can pinpoint sections that work—or don’t—without even asking the person what they thought.

For more information, please call us at 916. 455.4790 or contact us at our website: www.dellrichards.com.