For the last few weeks, I’ve been talking about cross-media integration as the future for successful campaigns.  I’ve also mentioned this “convergence” issue when it comes to consumer products, namely in my discussion of switching to Blockbuster Total Access.

Back then, I couldn’t get enough of the “in-store rentals.”  Go to the store with your watched movie, and swap it out for another, right on the spot.  I still think it’s an amazing concept, if it were used correctly.  Sad to say, after a month and a half, I’m done with the Blockbuster Total Access, and I’m now back to Netflix.  Why?  Simply not enough access.

But I mean that in a different way.  Here was my current situation, and you’ll quickly see why this caused me to switch back.

One of my latest endeavors is to “figure out this whole YouTube presidency thing.”  No small task, but I’ve decided that you can’t think about the future without learning about the past.  So, I entered into my Blockbuster queue every past “inside the presidential campaign” documentary I could find.  This includes the 1960 film “Primary”, the 1992 Clinton campaign’s “The War Room” and 2000’s “Journeys with George.”  I figured it’d be a good start.

Returned my movies to Blockbuster, and the next day, none of these shipped.  Blockbuster shipped my #5 choice.  Despite the movies being listed as “available.”  So, I consulted the FAQs, and the reasoning behind this is that if the movie will take more than 4 days to reach your home, they won’t ship it.  Fair enough, but doesn’t this artificially limit my choices, even if I don’t care how long it takes and I just want to see the movie that I’ve chosen?

So, I return the movies that I didn’t really even want to see and added “Lord of the Rings: Whatever the First One Was Called” to my queue, and threw it on top.  For some reason, that choice was skipped over, as well.  From what I recall, this was a pretty popular and well-stocked movie.  Not with Blockbuster Total Access.

I decided that I’d still want to give Blockbuster a shot at explaining themselves.  I e-mailed a “I’m getting distressed, and I don’t like this.  I’ve consulted the FAQs already, and I want someone to call me so that I can explain this situation.”

A few hours later, I get an e-mail that looked something like this:

“Dear Brad,

We’re sorry that you’re (COPY/PASTE COMPLAINT).  The reasoning for this is (COPY/PASTE FAQ ANSWER).  Please accept this free movie pass, because we want you to feel valued.”

I tried one more time, didn’t get the movies I wanted, and now I’m back at Netflix.  “Primary,” “Journeys with George” and “The War Room” all shipped that day.

Thinking about it, what bothered me the most was the poor customer service, above all else.  Online consumers are real people.  We exist outside of copy/paste responses, and if a customer asks to be called, I find that there should be no reason why they shouldn’t.  In effect, by not calling the person or actually addressing the e-mail head-on, you’re rendering the consumer helpless.

To me, this isn’t how an online philosophy should work.  The Internet is making for an elightened and empowered consumer base.  By treating to the magic of COPY/PASTE, a company is essentially spitting on this design.  Simply saying in an e-mail, and I quote: “I want to make you feel that you are valued and not just a transaction,” is not sufficient.  Listen to the consumers and improve your design around it.

So simple that it just goes over some people’s heads.

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