We came upon them by accident while sitting on a flight. They’d advertised in the Virgin Australia Voyeur magazine and caught Barbara’s eye with the range of their products, rock bottom prices and specials.
They were oo.com.au, an online department store which has been around since 2004.
So you may well be thinking, “What’s the big deal – why are you writing about this?”
Simply put, these guys are an excellent example of direct marketing, customer service and follow up.
Here’s why…
After Barbara saw the ad, all those years ago, she checked out their website and joined their newsletter list. From then on she’s received an email EVERY DAY with a list of specials, 24 hour deals and general items in their catalogue. They break up the formats so they don’t get boring.
And you know what? Barbara looks at the email every day to see what they’re selling.
And yes, we’ve bought at least 3 items over the years, the most recent being a steam cleaner the other day.
All of which goes to prove consistency works. Oo.com.au are consistent in their contact. They don’t know when you’re likely to place an order, so they’re in front of you with different product ideas, giving you a choice to buy when you’re ready.
Coming back to the steam cleaner, Barbara had seen them advertised on special before and knew they’d come back at some point. So she waited till they did and placed an order.
And it’s what happened after that which really separated oo.com.au from a lot of suppliers.
The order had been placed using my name and email address. I immediately got a “thank you for purchasing” email with a 10% discount on my next order if I spent $50+ before 23rd November (which was 7 days later). Here’s both a discount and scarcity at play. Would I take action to save 10% - well if there was something I was dithering about buying, it may well have got me over the line.
I’m not on their newsletter list, so the rest of the email went…
“We would also like to keep you updated with exclusive discounts
Our newsletters are the best source of hot deals and exciting new products. Please choose how often you would like to receive great savings from us by clicking on the button below:”
Then went on to give me reasons I should subscribe…
“Top 3 Reasons Why You Should Receive Our Newsletters
Be the first to receive the latest hot products that we have at oo.com.au
Save up to 80% off retail prices, our newsletters are the best source of great new deals
Enjoy exclusive offers only available to newsletter subscribers.”
What’s the cheapest and most effective form of marketing? Keep your customers coming back! I’ve bought once and if I’m happy with my purchase, the service etc., why wouldn’t I come back?
And here’s where it gets really interesting…
Bear in mind, the last order had been placed using my email address – not Barbara’s.
So on the same day Barbara got an email from them: “Barbara, Where did you go?”
We Miss You
Hi Barbara,
We really enjoyed it when you used to shop with us, but we've noticed it's been a while. We've tried to entice you with amazing prices and great products, but we've obviously fallen short.
We miss you though, so perhaps we can tempt you back with this special offer. Here's a Free Delivery coupon for your next order (good until next week only, valid site wide!).
Coupon Code: XXXXXX
We hope to see you soon,
Your friends at oo.com.au
PS - A lot has changed since you last bought from us - we've now got tons of new products on our site and brands you always dreamed of! Why don't you check them out now?
Followed by some recommended deals…
So she rang up customer service, left a message with the order number and hey presto, we got an email with a credit refund for the shipping on the order I’d placed!
Now that’s customer service!
All the way through the process, we got emails telling us the status of the order, when it was dispatched and we duly got it before the weekend.
And yes, we’re very happy with it. It does a great job.
So what are the lessons here?
Once you’ve got a customer, do whatever you can to keep them coming back for more. Remember it’s at least 7 to 10 times more expensive to get a new customer over re-selling to them again and again.
Communicate, communicate, communicate. Be consistent in your customer contact. Give people reasons to stay on your list by offering stuff that’s of interest to them. And be easy to do business with.
One last thing…
Many an organisation struggles with getting staff to follow up prospects and customers.
The answer is automation. And we can do it for you. We have access to technology that will automate your communication to your prospects and customers, keeping your offers in front of them.
We specialise in writing the messages and other keep in touch material. Call us on (02) 9499-7958 for more details on how we can take the burden of constant contact off your shoulders.
Rashid.
P.S. Just got an email from oo.com.au – “NOTE TO SELF: Use my 10% coupon before it expires” – Final days! Your coupon expires in 48 hours. Ah, the power of automation and follow up!
Share this Article
