Tags >> reputation management
May 08, 2012

Nutella: a great example of misleading marketing

I like Nutella, but my waistline doesn't, so imagine how happy I was in Sainsburys the other day when I saw on the newly re-marketed (I presume) jar, the following words:

  • Each 15g portion contains 2 hazelnuts, some skimmed milk and a little cocoa
'Great!' I thought, 'It's healthy and good for me, so I can buy it and eat as much as I like'.
I then made the mistake of reading the ingredients, which actually gave me the FULL picture! The main ingredient is: wait for it!
  • Sugar (NOT hazelnuts)!
So the 2nd ingredient must be Hazelnuts
  • No! It's vegetable oil.
And what % of the total is Hazelnuts? 50%, 40%, 30%???
  • No, it's a paltry 13%
  • And the Cocoa is 7.4%
  • And skimmed milk powder is 6.6%
So assuming the minor ingredients (which are whey powder, emulsifier, lecithins and vanillin) are perhaps 5% in total (just a guess). That makes it around 68% sugar and oil!!!
So it's not that good for me then is it?????
Sugar makes people do all sorts of stupid things and builds up fat, and vegetable oil makes me fat and spotty.
So, please, marketers worldwide, don't try and take us consumers for idiots! We resent it. 
This product is NOT good for me! It's mainly filled with ingredients that will make me spotty and fat. So, please, don't try to wrap it up in cotton wool ... tell the truth and let me make my own mind.
Yes, it's got hazelnuts and some other stuff that perhaps is good for you, but those are not the main ingredients. Don't put a message on the side worded so that the customer may well infer that they are ...
If you can't trust a brand 100%, then you can't trust it all: whatever else might they be putting in this stuff if they can't even be totally honest on the label??
When will marketers wake up and realise that they are part of the overall customer service of a product or service? The world is becoming 100% transparent, so if they tell half truths, we won't believe anything they say, and we'll resent being taken as fools.
As customers, we can accept a great tasting product that's not that good for you, what we can't accept is telling half truths and spinning to mislead us.
I will now go out of my way to avoid any Ferrero products.
FYI: these include: Ferrero Rocher and Kinder products.
Amazingly, in 2009 evidently Ferrero was ranked by the Reputation Institute as the most reputable Company in the World. I can't imagine what made them come to this conclusion!

Apr 24, 2012

How To Discover A CFM In An Organisation

BASICS

1.    TAKE THE TIME TO GET IT RIGHT

                    a.    This should be discovered, and not rushed

Mar 12, 2012

Are Tesco losing it in customer service?

Here's a copy of an email I received recently from a good friend:

 

I was reminded of my weekly experience at my local Tesco Extra store. I thought I'd send you my observations and see what thoughts you had. Feel free to post it on your site, if it's of any use:
Some years ago, Tesco ran an advertising campaign. They said if ever there was anyone in front of you at the checkout, they'd open another one. Impressive!
Fast forward to today. Every time I do the weekly shop (and I do mean EVERY time – I'm not exaggerating) a voice comes over the PA system: "Can all till trained staff report to the checkouts, please.". I'm only in the store for 20-30 mins!
Well, hang on a minute. Doesn't this mean that Tesco have got it upside down? Shouldn't they aim to have enough staff on the tills at all times? Bringing staff on to tills during an unexpected rush is useful. But every time? It's as if Tesco manufacture an emergency to remind us how "good" they are, bringing till trained staff out for us.
I'm fed up with it. It seems that the staff are fed up with it too because they then manufacture reasons not to hear the call. So what happens next? The PA announces that its now an amber call. OMG! An AMBER call? Have the marines landed? Send in Special Forces to rescue the staff from whatever it is that's preventing them getting to the tills (Can special forces attack and kill torpor?).
But STILL some staff hide away so now we're treated to the "Shout of Shame". To embarrass the staff in to doing some work, their names are announced, in public, OVER THE PA, demanding that they attend the checkouts.
And what do we, the bemused customers, think? Well, I'm left with the impression that I'm just getting in their way. I get the feeling that they'd MUCH rather I used the self-serve checkouts and not bother the staff.
I just think that Tesco have got their priorities wrong. Calling up extra staff is old. Don't TELL me you're going to do it. Just DO it. Please. I just want to buy stuff and leave. Thanks.

Mar 09, 2012

How to handle a complaint: great customer service from Natwest (would you believe it!)

Here's a great little story about a Bank getting it right.

Last week I was in NatWest Okehampton: there was a queue of about 4 and only one person serving. Consequently I had to wait about 15 minutes to get served.

Whilst I was waiting I picked up their leaflet about what a helpful and customer orientated Bank they were: talk about rubbing salt into the wounds when you're in a hurry!

Jan 31, 2012

Sainsburys get it right: customer service in the age of the empowered customer

Here is  a great example of a supermarket getting it very right in the age of the empowered customer.

http://www.google.co.uk/imgres?q=sainsburys+letter+tiger+bread&hl=en&biw=1366&bih=643&gbv=2&tbm=isch&tbnid=cPpQErJm-Y5qAM:&imgrefurl=http://thedrum.co.uk/news/2012/01/31/sainsbury-s-renames-tiger-bread-giraffe-bread-following-social-media-response-lily-s&docid=DvxkiTCNxQWe_M&imgurl=http://thedrum.co.uk/uploads/drum_basic_article/86229/additional_media/lily%20letter%20giraffe.jpg&w=720&h=533&ei=wEwoT4rMH-ms0QXSu8SGBQ&zoom=1

Jan 17, 2012

You are NOT in charge of your Business!

Your customers are!

Whether you like it or not, your customers are already talking about you, either directly to their friends, or, and of course now much more common, and potentially infinitely more powerful … on the Internet.

The Internet is empowering your customer unlike anything before  … you can either use this fact to your advantage, or let it happen without you. Your challenge is to make sure whatever is being said about you is ‘great’ on an ongoing basis.

Jan 12, 2012

Trip Advisor: they are the saviour NOT the enemy! Get wise not mad!

There's much shouting about how 'unfair' Trip Advisor are and how annoying it is to get bad reviews, so I feel compelled to put the record straight. Here goes:

> It's not 'unfair' everyone has the same issues!

> If you get it right it's free worldwide advertising for a little bit of effort, what on earth is anyone moaning about?

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