When was the last time you wrote a letter to a company?
Not an email, or text punched into a form field on the “contact us” page of a website. A physical letter.
I recently sent one to a company I’ve supported for a long time.
Palm has a story everyone in business can learn from. In the late 90s, they developed the PDA: a life-changing device to keep your contacts, calendar, to dos and memos in one place, and sync up with your computer. They improved on that device for years, merging it with a mobile phone as far back as 2002. BlackBerry got into the smart phone game then, too, and Apple entered five years later.
Palm created a category, and eventually let their leadership slip. But they continue to release smart products with competitive features, with their hardcore fans rooting for them.
I bought my Palm Pre last summer. I’ve really enjoyed this phone, and was surprised when a few critical phone functions started to break down. With the one-year warranty expired, my options for repair or replacement weren’t looking good. But I didn’t want to leave the brand I’d been with for so long. As a last-ditch effort, I decided to write them a letter.
Getting the right address wasn’t easy. After some explaining on the phone that ‘no, I didn’t want to send an email, I wanted to mail a letter,’ I could hear the confusion and see the smile on the support person’s face from halfway around the world, while they searched their database for this arcane piece of information. But they found it, and my letter went in the mail that day:
Dear Palm,
I’ve been a loyal customer since I bought my first Palm IIIx in 1999. In the years since, I’ve purchased the m105, Tungsten E, Treo and Pre. Among my friends, I’m known as the “Palm guy.” When the Pre was about to be released, I tapped into my professional media connections and voiced my support for Palm in a FOX news segment. I defend Palm at every opportunity. Maybe it’s because I’m from New Jersey and sticking up for the underappreciated and misunderstood is in my DNA. Or maybe it’s because you consistently make the best products. Either way, my enthusiasm and dedication to your brand have converted many of my friends into “Palm people” over the last decade.
I take good care of my things, and I expect an investment like a smart phone to last at least a couple years. So I was very surprised the other day when my Pre’s microphone and speaker stopped working, and the phone also began turning itself on just from being handled. I went to Sprint and asked them about repairing it, but they wouldn’t, because it’s been just over one year. I asked them about purchasing a refurb replacement, and they wouldn’t do that either. My only options are spending $150 plus tax on a new Pre, or to leave Palm in disappointment for another manufacturer.
What would you do if you were a disillusioned supporter and these were your only options?
I like seeing brands stand by their products, and I believe in rewarding brands who do the right thing. I would like to publish your team’s action in response to this letter on my blog.
Regards,
Adam
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Some time later, I received a phone call from a friendly U.S.-based service representative at Palm, who offered to replace my phone at no charge.
A few days after that, a package arrived at my office, with a working phone, and a prepaid box to mail back my old one.
You don’t hear this story very often, at a time when consumer electronics are cheap, support is hard to come by and patience is thin. But my loyalty was rewarded, and my trust in this brand was reaffirmed. Even after they were bought by HP (which I believe will be a good thing), here is a case of a company standing behind its products, and understanding the value of communication with its advocates. I can’t wait to see what they come out with next.
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There’s something about a letter that’s real. It stands out on a desk, and the words feel more concrete when you read them. Before you break up with a brand, try writing one and see what happens.
brands, technology
brand advocates, communication, customer support, HP, loyalty, palm, palm pre, patience, pre, trust
