Somewhere out there there is a marketing consultant that should be fired. The USPS actually has posters and floor stickers in their lobbies that read:
"Our Goal...Service In Five Minutes or Less!"
Ummmmm, I go to the post office often . NEVER have I been served in that time frame. Maybe if I arrive right when they open the doors early in the morning, but most of the time I take a number and wait. Then I wait some more.
I have come to expect this as just part of the deal to mail a package. I don't complain, as the USPS does a great job of delivering the mail. It amazes me everyday that all the letters, magazines, bills, and junk mail successfully finds its way to my home. For 41 cents I can send a handwritten note to anyone in the country and it always arrives. This is a great deal (see yesterday's post!).
However, customer service and a sense of urgency inside their stores is not the reputation of the post office. That's okay, it is just life. However, I was angered that they had these signs about a fictional goal of getting me to the counter in a reasonable amount of time. While I waited for 28 minutes to have my number called I just kept thinking about the expensive marketing firm who sold the executives at the USPS on this campaign. I am sure they made six figures in fees while the campaign is all BS.
There were two more realistic slogans they could have had instead:
"Our Goal....Service In Five Minutes or Less! But you know there is not a snowballs chance in hell we will meet this goal. Have a nice day!"
or
"Our Goal....To have fake slogan about our lobby wait times that is so far from reality that it makes you even more angry that you would have been without this sign".
Yes, they have the one automated machine....but the I was mailing two heavy boxes of books (sixty copies of "Some Assembly Required") and the machine does not offer "book rate", so I had no choice but to wait in line.
The lesson in this for me is to beware of making promises that I cannot keep. There are some things that I am great at, and other areas where I have room for improvement. While I strive to improve on my weaknesses, I must carefully not to promise others more than I can deliver.
Have A Great Day.
thom
http://www.thomsinger.com/
This is all about being authentic. I just wrote a blog entry that dovetails nicely with this concept. People see right through B.S. and it doesn't matter how much you paid some marketing idiot to come up with that B.S. That's what I hate about most marketing people - they are all about "inspiration" and not about "reality". See my post here if you wish: http://www.claritymarketingsupport.com/blog/2007/10/are-you-for-real.html
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