Ask most folks in the catalog industry what edge catalogs have over retail and they’ll say “service” or “convenience.” If you think about it, convenience is actually a form of service, so the bottom line is that we catalogers think we provide better service to our customers than they can find at retail. Maybe it was true at one time, but it sure doesn’t feel that way anymore.
Whatever happened to those great Lands’ End ads that used to talk about its sterling service? Where are the catalogs that extol service in their own pages? Know what you almost always find as the highlight of the service area in the catalog? A push to purchase.
The majority of the catalogs I reviewed hit hard for the sale, not the service. Nothing wrong with wanting that sale, but it can feel a lot like all the catalog is out for is customers’ wallets and pocketbooks, not their trust.
“It’s Easy to Order 24 Hours a Day, 7 Days a Week”…“4 Ways to Order”…“Ordering Is Fast & Easy 24 Hours a Day” — the same theme rang again and again from catalog to catalog. A few, like Hammacher Schlemmer and Solutions, had the smarts to lead or highlight their service sections with the guarantee, a first step in establishing consumer trust.
Solutions makes a good attempt at humanizing what has become generic service copy in most catalogs. Copy heads like “Our test labs are our homes!” and “We love to hear from you” personalize and define the catalogs as not just another company selling stuff for your house.
Adding even one word to a service header can make a difference in the overall tone. Brylane Home Kitchen gives absolutely minimal space to their service area and, for the most part, it is as dry as they come with headers like “Delivery,” “Credit Card Account Questions” and “Gift Certificates.” But instead of just saying “Returns,” Brylane adds that all-important word “Easy,” and suddenly “Easy Returns” provides a real and immediate benefit to the reader. More than that one word is needed to make a lasting impression, but it’s the right direction to take.
Design Within Reach (DWR) shows it’s making every attempt to meet its customers’ needs by devoting a whole order-form page to features and stories that provide value. For starters, DWR offers online customers a weekly newsletter filled with information relevant to that design-savvy audience. DWR also heralds pictorial success stories from clients and the joy of opening a DWR commercial account. Information such as this gives a company real dimension, something a potential customer can grab onto and identify with — two keys to getting not only the first sale, but repeat business.
Too often service and ordering information is buried under a glued-down order form flap. Or, if the order form is missing, the service information becomes just another less-than-standout page in the book. The order form area often is the last to be designed and is treated as an ugly, unwanted stepchild. This area should serve as a reinforcement of the company’s feelings for its customers, not just as a utilitarian section of the catalog.
One of my favorite catalogs, Anthropologie, displays lyrical, mesmerizing copy…and then treats its customer service area as if it were a legal brief. Perhaps it should take a peek at an old master, J. Peterman.
A sampling from Peterman’s order form lets the friendly, yet adventuresome tone of his catalog come through in every word, plus he uses bold and italic to add additional impact to key words and numbers:
“Write us or, even quicker, call us toll-free at 888-647-2555 from the U.S. and Canada. Or 859-254-9779 from Perth, London, Budapest, etc. We’re here 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. (ET) weekdays and weekends.
“Be assured that when you call, you will not find us rushed, perfunctory or rude. The fact is we are waiting for your call. We are glad when you do. The more questions you ask, the better. After a while, we get to know our customers by name and also know what they like and what they don’t.”
But even this expert slips up, as Peterman, like way too many others, does not tell its customers how they can return items they’re dissatisfied with, and how quickly a standard order based on the regular postage and handling chart is shipped. Sure, we all push the fact that we have super-quick delivery available, but focus groups have taught me that customers want to compare the additional cost and delivery time of expedited service to standard service.
Norm Thompson, while undoubtedly on the stiff side, covers the basics of what customers want to know about delivery time: “Most in-stock items are delivered to you within five business days from receipt of your order. Phone, fax or order by Internet for fastest response. (Please allow 2 to 5 additional days for orders with hemming or engraving.)”
Horchow, in a three-step process, details how items should be returned, helping to assure first-time buyers that there really is no obstacle to purchase.
Monterey Bay uses a simple one-color insert to bring warmth to its catalog. The copy begins, “Welcome to our Circle of Friends,” and then follows with subheads so wonderfully self-explanatory that you don’t really need to read the paragraphs that follow. The subheads are “Whatever It Takes,” “Our Unconditional Guarantee,” “Free Exchange Program,” “People to Serve You” and “Order Online.”
A concise, motivational package. Would that there were more.
KATIE MULDOON is president of DM/catalog consulting firm Muldoon & Baer Inc., Tequesta, FL.
Network
