- There Is A Professional Thank You Industry, And It Is Counterproductive
- After Completing A Customer Service Transactions, Most Consumers Are Subject to A Survey
- Battering The Consumer With Texts And Emails Offsets The Good Service Provided
I’m still in Detroit and can’t find any postcards to send you, but I was thinking about our world of Google reviews. I am so thankful you found and subscribed to Housing Notes, but I’ve never asked you for a review. It’s subscribers like you that keep this ship sailing.
But I digress…
It took me about two years to empty all the boxes in our garage after we moved. We had downsized from a 4,500-square-foot Salt Box built in 1825, where we raised our four sons, to a 2,300-square-foot renovated country house built in 1755 to live as empty-nesters. The loss in square footage meant we had a lot of extra stuff. The kind of stuff that had needed to be given to the family (our kids basically wanted none of it) or sent to Goodwill or hauled to the dump. You’ve got to have goals in life, and mine was to be able to park our cars inside the garage before the first snow and install those tennis balls on a string to gauge how far we could drive inside. After clearing out the space and dusting off the cobwebs, it was apparent we needed new garage door openers, so I headed over to Google and did some research on service providers.
I found a local firm that serviced our area and had good ratings, so I gave them a call. They were able to come over in two hours and clearly explain how the fees for replacement equipment and labor worked. I was admittedly relieved it was so straightforward and reasonably priced, so I engaged them.
They installed the new equipment, made some helpful suggestions, and were very organized and friendly. I paid for the services and thought I was done.
The Beginning Of Ratings Roulette
I began getting text messages asking for reviews on Google and then gave them five stars. Even after I gave them a review, I got several more texts asking for reviews in different locations like Facebook and Yelp.
I got the same battery of communications by email – the installer has a baby boy and is a family man. The day after the installation, my focus shifted to unsubscribing to all the emails. The aura of the hassle-free installation experience was beginning to fade. Instead of being a hassle-free experience, it quickly morphed into an invasion of my privacy.
Final Thoughts About The Professional Thank You Industry
I started to think about all the automated follow-ups I get from daily tasks. When I pick up a prescription or have a doctor’s appointment (United Healthcare, actually), I get weekly survey requests about my “experience” for weeks on end. When I buy a plane ticket, I get follow-up surveys. I never respond. It’s a growing part of my life as a consumer. It allows businesses to check a box, but I believe it irritates most of the consumers who receive it, which seems wildly counterproductive.
Just because we can get closer to the users of our services doesn’t give businesses the right to swarm our customers.
I can now press a button and park my car in the garage, but I have to warn my friends, if asked to recommend a vendor, about the excessive contact.
Of course, when you rage against the machine, some people won’t listen (NSFW)
December 27, 2024, It’s A Perfect Storm When PITI Becomes PITIHOA
- Welcome back to Michigan, and Happy New Year, Jonathan. I’m thinking we have an interesting year ahead of us as appraisers interconnected with the financial markets!
- Well Written 🙌🏻. As Usual!
December 23, 2024, Less New Retail Is Making Malling Great Again
- 1st job in Aurora Ill? I seem to recall that Aurora was the town that Wayne’s World was located…Most boomers would know that. Merry Christmas.
- I just checked out your newsletter and found it so interesting and signed up immediately, and so awesome to hear you grew up in MD to!
Did you miss the previous Housing Notes?
Housing Notes Reads
- Insurance and Taxes Now Cost More Than Mortgages for Many Homeowners [The Wall Street Journal]
- All those 2025 mortgage rates forecasts are now wrong [Housingwire]
- Future HOA Membership Is A Growing Part Of Home Ownership Costs [Housing Notes]
- Migration Into America’s Most Flood-Prone Areas Has More Than Doubled Since the Start of the Pandemic [Redfin]
Market Reports
- Elliman Report: Florida New Signed Contracts 11-2024 [Miller Samuel]
- Elliman Report: New York New Signed Contracts 11-2024 [Miller Samuel]
- Elliman Report: Manhattan, Brooklyn & Queens Rentals 10-2024 [Miller Samuel]
