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Seth Godin, The Stones and a Lie from Commerce Bank

As the Rolling Stones so aptly put it and Seth Godin so eloquently confirms in his new book, All Marketers Are Liars, "You can't always get what you want, but you get what you need."

Making you think that what you want is what you need is the job of marketers, who tell us stories (lies) that are intended to create an "I need" mentality. We already have what we really need, and it's all pretty cheap he says. It takes lies to make us think the more expensive variety of necessities are necessary.

Seth spoke last night at a book party in Manhattan where everyone got a free copy of his book. It was fun to finally meet him in person last night after years of emails and phone calls.

Here's a marketing lie: my bank, Commerce Bank, (and probably other banks too) lies about electronic funds transfers. I've been paying my rent online through EFT for months. Yesterday I got a notice from the landlord saying they'd yet to receive the EFT I sent on the 5th.

Turns out: I request the EFT and the bank cuts a CHECK the next day and SNAIL MAILS it, and says I have to allow 10-14 days for the check to arrive. What's electronic about that?

They did get on the phone with the landlord and get them to reverse a $50 late charge. But nowhere on the Commerce site does it say you have to allow 14 days for an EFT.

From now on, I will mail the landlord a check and know it will be there in 3 days. Liars. Liars. Pants on fire.

Categories: Alternative Marketing, Best Practices, Business Communications, Commentary, Don't Believe the Hype, Events, Leaders, Marketing Strategy, Thought Leaders, Worst Practices

BL Ochman | Jun 16 05 10:39 | TrackBack (0)

Comments

The ink at the bottom of your check is magnetic, and is read electronically by a machine. Therefore, all transactions are electronic. Quit whining.

;)

Posted by: Ike Pigott at June 16, 2005 1:49 PM

you are all wet here Ike. ONLINE bill paying from my account to the landlord's should not involve a check. If they said checks were involved I would just write a freaking check myself and mail it. No need to add TWO WEEKS and landlord late fees to the process.

Commerce needs to add to its site: Please allow 10-14 days for an electronic funds transfer to be processed.

And I'm not whining. You're talking to Rent-A-Kvetch here, the doyenne of effective complaints. I'm kvetching. That's is a healthy and productive outlet if you do it right. Trust me when I tell you that before I am done, Commerce will add that warning to its online banking site.
:>)

Posted by: B.L. Ochman at June 16, 2005 3:20 PM

You are an expert kvetcher, but not a seasoned chain-yankee. I was channeling the spirit of Jonathon Swift.

Now give 'em hell -- and ask for a rebate of the interest they've accrued from floating your EFT's for two weeks each.

Posted by: Ike Pigott at June 16, 2005 5:42 PM

I'm with you in the Rent-A-Kvetch department...I just added a blog called Customer Relationship Breaker...CRB www.resonancepartnership.com/crb/ to deal with these poor excuses for customer service incidents. I had a similar incident to your Commerce Bank one with MBNA. They are not clear at all the EFT.

Posted by: Marianne Richmond at June 16, 2005 7:16 PM

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About BL Ochman

Blogger, social media strategy consultant to Fortune 500 companies, and sought-after corporate speaker B.L. Ochman heads the creative team of whatsnextonline.com. She also publishes the Ethics Crisis blog for SRF Global Translations

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