KQED – the tale continues…..

I keep thinking that, perhaps, I’m being a little harsh on KQED. But every time I have the slightest doubt, they manage to reinforce that they are at least as bad, if not worse, as I portray them.

After my previous two experiences (documented earlier in this blog), this week I got a letter. “Yay, I’ve finally got through to them” I thought. I open the letter.

“Dear Mr. Graham Bird
On behalf of all of us at KQED, I want to thank you for your continued support. Clearly, it is members like you who are the real strength behind outstanding Northern California Public Television and Radio.”

What can I say? This is from Robin Smith, with whom I have not communicated directly, but it still says a lot about KQED and it’s ‘customer’ responsiveness. A letter to the General Manager (with a copy of the associated blog), followed by a pack to the member department (two blog entries, a copy of the GM letter, plus another letter explaining the previous ones, and still they charge me and thank me for my continuing support!

The PS to the letter is interesting,

“ Due to revised circulation requirements set by the publisher of San Francisco Magazine, KQED can only provide this benefit to members who give $150 or more annually. In its place, we will send you The Guide, KQED’s complete printed program schedule.”

KQED is so in tune with its members that it spends the hard earned member subscriptions to print and mail a program schedule. Haven’t they checked on how many of us have the internet and check program listings that way? They could save a huge amount by checking and confirming, if I’m right, that most of us throw them away as they deliver zero value.

But alas, the problem is a bigger one really. I’m describing symptoms. KQED has real issues and problems in communicating (that is, a two way dialog) with their ‘members’, but I don’t see what could be done to get them to realize that there even is a disconnect. And there, my diligent reader, is the problem that many organizations face. To paraphrase Donald Rumsfeld, they don’t even know that they have an ‘unknown unknown’ – what their customers really think.

{WOM, Bad Customer Service, Marketing, Product}

{WOM, Bad Customer Service, Marketing, Product}

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