Voiceover Blog

There’s a lot to be said about customer service goodwill.  The help and service you give today comes back over and over.  The branding folks call it loyalty.

Over the last week, I’ve had a number of good/bad customer service experiences.

In searching for a brand name skin care product, I called the brand’s call center and was put off by the near hostility of the CSR when asked where I could find the product.

I usually have found it at CVS.  The CVS call center was almost Disney-like in their commitment to help me find the product.  Thank you, Amanda.

A few days later, my wife was having a bit of a time attaching a new bike rack to her car.  A couple of local bike places did not want to help.  But on a slow Sunday afternoon, I urged her to stop at a TREK store in a large shopping center nearby.

It only took ten minutes for the  guy to come out and
show her how the straps attached. He was very matter-of-fact about it, but he earned a ton of goodwill from both of us.

I still vividly recall the employee of an office supply store who
shut me out 30 seconds beyond closing time after my printer
ran of ink.  I’ve never been back.

One of the most viewed pages on this blog is the one about
satisfied and unsatisfied customers.

How do your customers feel about you?

Is there anything you can do about it?

–Thanks for reading… and sorry for the ”Wimpy” title ;-)

The Radio Ad Lab did a study on what makes a radio spot effective.

Any guesses as to what they “discovered”?

Successful radio ads use words that touch the senses and emotions.

Well, DUH.

I hate to spoil the party, but we’ve known that for 50 years.  That’s why radio is called “theatre of the mind”.

The study goes on to say, “strong beginnings make a difference”.

That does not mean that your spot should start off with sirens and the phrase “IF YOU’RE IN THE MARKET FOR A USED CAR, LISTEN TO THIS!!!”

Anyone who has worked with me in the past, or read any of these blog posts knows I’ve been preaching that for years.
At least RAB CEO Jeff Haley was correct when he said, “Audio creative is a tough assignment and often does not garner the attention it deserves”

Yes.  It is not easy to write a 30 second commercial that is compelling, direct, AND emotional.

Maybe that’s why you don’t hear too many of them. Account Execs and overworked production directors don’t, can’t or won’t take the time to give the client value for their advertising investment.

But the best quote of all comes from The Starcom Mediavest Group Research Director who wrote: “This approach to measuring emotional engagement gives us new insights on the creative-Radio paradigm”

Spoken like a true research geek.

I’ve met with countless clients who have told me - I Don’t Want To Sound Like Every Other Ad On The Radio.

What they mean is - I Want Something That WORKS.

Of course.  That’s the goal of any advertising. But you can’t write a spot from a Yellow Pages ad.  That’s like mixing apples and kumquats.  Emotional impact will not come from a laundry list of goods or services you have to sell. It comes from telling the customer how they’re going to feel when they buy and use them.

Ask any car salesman. They can talk all they want about mileage, features, colors, payments…but they know they have the sale when the customer is sitting behind the wheel in the showroom and IMAGINES himself driving down the freeway.

This is not news.  Some of us have made a career out of producing effective radio like this.

RAB head Jeff Haley goes on to say, “We will continue finding and sharing ways this medium is used best.”

You do that, Jeff. You do that.

–Thanks for reading