Friday, February 18, 2005
Gotta Love the Doubting Thomases
I love my customers. Even though I've automated most of my online activities, I make it a point to send a personal e-mail to anyone who orders my products and to check how her transaction went.
I love the customer who sends me an e-mail and tells me what she thinks of my product. I love the customer who takes the time to thank me for the kind of service she received from me. I love the customer who gives constructive criticisms and suggestions on how I can improve the product she bought. I love the customer who complains and asks for my help.
But there are two types of customer I especially love -- the customer who buys my product, asks for a refund and re-orders a few months later; and the customer who initially sends me an e-mail and tells me how unimpressed he is with one of my products and then buys it a few days later.
Three years ago, someone bought one of my e-books. Barely 12 hours after he ordered it, he demanded a refund. He said he didn't think the information in the e-book could help him and his online business. I issued him a refund along with a note permitting him to keep the e-book in his computer. A month later, he re-ordered it. It was when I was about to raise the price of the e-book and included several time-limited bonuses. In his e-mail, he explained why he bought it again. I ended up with a testimonial from him that I put up on the e-book's sales page and used in my e-mail promotions to convert more sales.
In May 2003, I began selling a simple software I created for writers. I created a free version to promote the paid version. In less than 6 weeks, more than a thousand writers had the free version in their computers. And in those 6 weeks, 3 writers e-mailed to tell me they were unimpressed with my software. Unimpressed as they were, they chose to remain on my software update list and read the writing-related articles I sent out on intervals to the users of my software. In July 2003, just as I was about to
raise the price of the software, all 3 of them bought it.
Everytime I encounter these types, I chuckle and shake my head. There's nothing like convincing these doubting Thomases to buy from me. And I feel I've accomplished something big when I get them to change their minds and pay for my products.
(Originally published in my @ Large on the Net column in INQ7.net)
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Posted by: sheryruss in: today's blog-o-shery
Modified on February 18, 2005 at 11:31 PM Of Gallbladders, Appendicitis and Automation
I'm fed up. I'm done feeling like an invalid. I'm going back to work, even if I have to do it lying down in the next 4 weeks, 5 feet from my computer.
Last February 3, I had an emergency surgery -- a 2 for 1 thing. It was the culmination of a week-long tummy-ache. My doctor, after taking one look at the results of my ultrasound that Thursday afternoon, said he wanted me to check in the hospital because my gallbladder was swollen. He referred me to a surgeon.
By 5pm, I was settled in my room, watching TV and awaiting the surgeon. She came at 7pm, did several tests on me and diagnosed I have acute appendicitis. After a brief consultation with my doctor, they decided to open me up. They said whether my appendix was bad or not, my gallbladder's gotta go anyway. I said fine, they know best and proceeded to grumble about the absence of the TV remote. I thought I'd be able to watch Stairway to Heaven that night. (I confess, that particular Koreanovela is my one weakness -- I always look out for the pivotal scenes because I know the all-too familiar line, ""Langit ka at lupa ako. Hanggang tanaw na lang ba tayo?" will fade up.)
By 9pm, I was carted off to the operating room. My mom and aunt were behind. The attendants commented that my mom, aunt and I were the only people they knew who laughed and teased and appeared happy on the way to the operating room. Two and a half hours later, I was back in my room -- with a 5-inch diagonal wound stitched pretty on the right side of my tummy that tells I'm 2 organs less than when I was born. My gallbladder and appendix were removed, as they had been both ripe for burstin' by the time my surgeon opened me up. That night (and up until morning), my dad was in charge of wiping the drool off my mouth and cleaning up whatever icky stuff I threw up.
I stayed until Sunday, but I wasn't worried about my online business. I had automated 90% of my online activites that I knew everything will continue to work if I ever had an emergency. When I got back, I had hundreds of e-mails demanding my personal response. Because I was still under heavy medication, I responded in chunks of 5 e-mails every 2 hours (or whenever I had a lucid moment). There were several orders for my products but since I had the download process for each product automated, all that was left for me to do was write a personal thank-you note for each new buyer/customer.
However, after more than a week of lying down, of eating nothing but 'lugaw' and soft food, of making papaya my national fruit (for easy bowel movement since I'm not supposed to push or force myself to take a dump), of wearing 'dusters', of always needing help getting up, off and on the bed, of not being allowed to sit up or stand for longer than 15 minutes at a time -- I'm ready to feel useful again. I can't stay away from my projects, my sites, my online business for a long time. And like I said in the beginning of this piece, I'm going back to work, even if I have to do it lying down in the next several weeks.
And hey, writing this week's blog signals my return ;o)
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Posted by: sheryruss in: today's blog-o-shery
Modified on February 15, 2005 at 2:44 AM