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Warning! If you’re of a sensitive nature and can’t bear talk about smiting and rainin’ down with 
hellfire . . . don’t read today’s post. I mean it.
Still with us? Good, then let’s get rockin’.
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears;
I come to praise McFarlin, not to bury him.
In his recent post, Kyle McFarlin characterizes my portrayal of him in my recent filleting of HP’s Customer Failure department, as the “pawn of the day.”
Realistically though I stated my case and laid out my analysis with the zeal and vigor of an avenging angel, and by putting big neon signs around HP’s egregious negligence, I perhaps didn’t take enough care to keep Kyle in a favorable light.
My focus was to put a spotlight on the egregiousness of what HP did to him, not on what he failed to do.
For the record, Kyle is a stand-up guy and nobody’s patsy nor fool.
He just plays by different rules . . . has different expectations . . . and has evolved along similar yet different paths than I have. And there’s nothing right nor wrong about that, just ’tis the way it is.
And let’s keep in mind, as his post pointed out — he did get what he wanted from HP: An apology and fast-tracked service.
So golf clap, everyone. He had his objective and he achieved it.
Now . . . do I think that wasn’t enough for being nearly put out of commission and massively inconvenienced for months?
You know I do. But . . . he’s happy, so gig’s up, right?
Not so fast, bub.
There’s a larger lesson and a larger game in play here and the lessons to be learned and the wisdom to be gained are enormous (otherwise I wouldn’t be writing about it). And the stakes and rewards may be greater than you dared imagine.
But before I get into that . . . quick update for those who asked. HP has not responded to my posts, nor has iCAP Technologies. I suspect both companies are still hiding under their desks and someone should take pity on them and deliver some sandwiches.
They’re probably starving by now.
Okay . . . that was my PSA, now on with the show . . .
Enter The Level Playing Field
Many people are in Kyle’s boat, they get taken advantage of and just don’t have it in their neuronet that they should rain down fire and brimstone on the offenders until the offenders make it right. Heck, even my infamous Redhead didn’t know that companies should be expected to compensate you when they wrong you, prior to being involved with me.
Now when it happens she just says, “Sick ‘em, boy!” And of course being the dutiful attack dog . . . I obey.
Anything for a Scooby snack.
And maybe someday I’ll tell you all about my unique circumstances growing up that bent my mind in this direction. But I’ll tell you in general about it now with this famous quote: “You never know how much courage you have until you lead a charge against a horde, only to turn and discover your troops have deserted you. What you do next is who you really are.”
The power the little guy (that’s us) has against abusive businesses is that with a blog, a website, a press release and a little SEO skill — we can wage a counter-campaign to bring them to the table and in a better frame of mind to deal.
Yes, you. The little guy. Us. In a few hours you can wreak more havoc than their overpaid marketing departments can counter-spin in a month.
The days of just have to lube up and bend over once the pinhead business has your money and shows their true colors are over.
A while back, I blogged about a Texas man who, using similar tactics, went after CompUSA when they sold him an empty video camera box and refused (at first) to make good on it. Feel free to take a look at that post again because I laid out more specifics on how to accomplish what I’m describing.
Folks, the playing field is level and the odds are tilted in your favor. You see, businesses need you. They need your money and your satisfaction to spread the good word.
And happily . . . we should spread the good word when they do right by us and produce good products and services. Conversely, we need to rain down hellfire and smite them from on-high (figuratively) when they do us wrong and refuse to repair it.
And wasn’t that a great word picture Kyle left you with? “Walter, who is widely read and blasting like Al Pacino during the Scarface finale…”
Bee-yoo-tee-ful!
And all those large and small businesses who takes advantage of their customers? Heed the words and . . . “Say hello to my little friend!”
Like what you read? Then click here to buy me a coffee.
By Walter |
Topics: Lessons Learned, Pet Peeves, Pro Analysis |
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Comments
hellfire . . . don’t read today’s post. I mean it.
And wasn’t that a great word picture Kyle left you with? “Walter, who is widely read and blasting like Al Pacino during the Scarface finale…”
July 25th, 2007 at 1:47 pm
Great post, and my mind boggles at how HP nor ICap have responded at this point as I said in my post today HP Runs Silent by ROI. Something in my crystal ball says ICap will have to respond soon and someone at HP has to be running Google Alerts… If you type in the model number of my computer to Google Search, it’s on the frontpage of results.
And thanks for kind description above, though it was I who let myself by the pawn in the situation, so The Redhead and I have both benefitted greatly from your advice in dealing with customer service. Lastly, glad you liked the SCARFACE comparison ;).