I’m not sure why I set my expectations so high, but every time I get crappy customer service from a company it makes me drop one level deeper into the inferno of cynicism. Nobody really cares anymore. When a major company like Proctor & Gamble that has a brand image literally screaming out “Quality products here!†falls short in the customer service area it seems to prove the point that caring is a luxury nobody seems to be able to afford. It also proves that products do change when bought out by a consumer giant that is more interested in making a buck than satisfying a customer.
I should not be so irritated by such a minor incident, but there is a message that I feel should be shared. I visited the Old Spice web site and in the “Contact Us†area there was a template to send an email for customer assistance. I had been looking for the travel size of their original scent antiperspirant, but had not been able to find it in supermarkets, drug stores, or online. I asked if they made such a product and asked where I could buy it. The somewhat condescending email reply thanked me for being a loyal customer and “I wish I could help you, but at this time we’re not set up to sell directly to consumers.†Well Jacqueline (if that is a real name and you are a real person) that was not the question. Adding insult to injury, “Not all of our products come in sample or trial sizes, but those that do are generally found in drugstores or pharmacies, typically in the travel section.†I guess since they have to answer idiots every day then it is OK to treat everybody as an idiot. Duh… look in the travel section at CVS, huh. I’ve been looking in the hardware section at Sears. Thanks for setting me straight on that one! I’ll just continue my wild goose chase to find a product that may not even exist.
P&G bought Old Spice from The Shulton Company in 1990, but in a competitive market for men’s stinky stuff, they began to wander away from the market that made them successful and began a conscious proliferation of more sub-brand identities to target the younger crowd. The stink-race resulted in diluting the core brand to the point that most stores do not even carry the old geezer classic stink anymore. It is somewhat humorous that one of their advertising slogans is “If your grandfather hadn’t worn it, you wouldn’t exist.” Catchy phrase, but if that is true the human race is about to come to an abrupt end. I am not qualified to analyze P&G’s marketing data and determine the viability of any of their product lines, but I do know that I have several thousand dollars in P&G products in my home. And in other news, I bought them because I liked them and not because of some glitzy ad campaign.
If I switch to some other brand’s unscented antiperspirant to replace the original Old Spice Classic scent, nobody including P&G will notice or care very much. I just feel a little misled that after being offered an opportunity to ask a question I was given a non-answer by a know-nothing nobody. I expected more, especially from a company like P&G with the reputation [until now?] of being the gold standard in marketing. Hopefully, I will never be guilty of this “big tease†come on in my business. When I invite questions I will give you an honest answer and keep trying until I get it right. Am I just old fashioned… like my aftershave?
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