By John Hennessy
As reported by Don Peppers and Martha Rogers Ph.D., in Inside 1to1 Privacy, in order for customers to get certain benefits with HP products, they must share some information. Rather than assume customers wish to accept these terms -- in order to, say, set up automatic ordering for printer ink replacements -- HP has begun an enterprise-wide Design for Privacy initiative that gives customers control over how much data they wish to share.
"We are customers ourselves," says Beth Nidzieko, engineering program manager in HP's Imaging and Print Division, "so what we did made sense to us as consumers as well as developers."
What they did is include greater notice and choice for customers in the software that ships with HP products. For example, all inkjet customers used to be invited to participate in market research programs. Now, only those who choose to install the market research component of their software receive invitations.
Mark Albrecht, consumer privacy manager in HP's Imaging and Printing division says, "We expect fewer support calls and a general increase in customer satisfaction. This increased satisfaction will translate into revenue as we better retain the customer we have and turn more of our customers into HP evangelists."
"The most important factor is building loyalty with our customers," Albrecht says.
Moderator's Comment: What other loyalty marketing components can benefit from a shopper-based implementation approach and how?
Giving shoppers choices and respecting their wishes gives them confidence that you're paying attention and that their information is being handled properly. The result should be a more satisfied customer and a more efficient and effective loyalty program.
HP may have lost their leader but they're still doing some things very well. It's much better to be up front about the exchange of even the most trivial information. Consumers want to know why the exchange of information is necessary, and how they stand to benefit. And if they don't like the trade, they don't need to participate. Simple.
Quicken, noted for its customer approach to its products, got into trouble by somehow misplacing its customer orientation compass a few years back. To prevent pirating, they installed a software component that was intrusive and limiting. They received quite a backlash that could have been avoided if they had considered what their customers wanted. - John Hennessy - Moderator