My 75 year-old mother-in-law recently inquired, via the web, about a laundry product that she has been using for years. In response, Church & Dwight employed what is known in CRM-Customer Relationship Management as “the customer service apology” method:
Subject: Reply from Web Form Regarding ARM & HAMMER® Super Washing Soda
Thank you for visiting our web site recently. We have received your e-mail regarding ARM & HAMMER® So Clean! Super Washing Soda. We appreciate your interest in our product and are sorry you are having difficulty finding it in your area.
Because so many products compete for space on grocers’ shelves, stores sometimes must limit their offerings to those with the greatest demand. You might mention your interest in our product to the store manager where you shop and he or she may be able to order it for you.
Please understand that we are not able to process individual consumer orders. And since we work through brokers that distribute our products to retailers, we are unable to give you the names of specific stores in your area that carry our products.
Again, thank you for taking the time and having the interest to contact us. If you have any questions or concerns in the future, please call us at 1-866-931-9741.
We hope you will visit our web site again at: WWW.CHURCHDWIGHT.CA for information about our company, products, history, and financial information.
Church & Dwight Consumer Relations Representative
You may wonder why, in this age of location technology (bar codes, RFID), how a manufacturer could be so clueless as to where its own product is within the distribution channels. By contrast, food companies can locate any shipment.
Being a resourceful sort, my mother in-law has gone with Team Borax.
– Ted Morris, 4ScreensCRM
Cross-posted @ cloudave: http://www.cloudave.com/link/no-ticky-no-laundry-the-unservice-service
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