EMBA的小眼睛

Stupid is the brand killer

When you make your customer feel stupid, you've given him no choice. He needs to blame you.

Some ways to make people feel stupid:

Charge different prices at different outlets and shrug your shoulders when you get found out.
Insist that the warranty ends precisely the day you said it would.
Give new customers a great discount for signing up, but tell long-term customers that they're out of luck.
Make your expensive items less networked, less powerful and less reliable than your cheaper ones.
Give your customers a product, idea or service that causes them to be ridiculed or shamed by people they hope to impress.
Sell the private data you get from customers to other marketers without asking first.
Put the important information in your terms and conditions, in little tiny type.
Collect money as though you're in the long-term relationship business, but in every other way, act like you don't expect the relationship to last.
Talk about your customers (students/clients/members) behind their back in a way you'd never talk to their face (hint: it'll get back to them).
Lower your pricing but don't honor it for people who just bought from you. That shrug again.
Scold someone because the last three people already heard you just answer that question (but we didn't...)
Assume the worst about a customer's intent, intelligence and background.
Most people (particularly the customers you seek) don't mind paying a little extra if it comes with dignity, confidence and a smile.