Do You & Your Product Meet Your Promises?

In product management/marketing, we are always writing benefit statements, value propositions, sales words in an effort to promote what we think sets our products apart from the competition. But, at the end of the day, when you’re called upon to put those benefits to work, how do you respond?

This weekend my family traveled out of town for a family commitment. With all the traveling in my last job, I am an elite flier on an airline. Not the bottom rung elite even, but a middle level. This, according to everything I was sent and read, qualified me for even more extra perks. My husband is not the same status. So, when I was upgraded to business class on a few segments of our flights, there was no big surprise. But, one of the perks at my level is being able to upgrade a traveling companion if there are seats available. And, this was the case on the last segment of our trip.

I asked the gate agent when we were boarding about this, and she would not speak with me, saying there were no seats available. When we were on the plane I waited, and noticing empty seats, I asked the lead flight attendant who said the gate agent would have to make the change. I asked the agent again when she got on the plane and once again, I was rebuked. I sat down, noting her name and attitude.

Now, if the airline had not said that at my elite level that this was a perk, I would not be upset. But, they did. And, I started thinking. What perks do we offer our customers, often without knowing it, which means we’re obligated? And, of those we say we offer, what do we deliver?

You know that the first thing that happened when I got home was an e-mail to the airline customer service. And you and I both know they will reward both my husband and I with bonus miles, probably more than what it would have cost if they had just moved him up a few aisles to sit next to me for the 526 mile segment.

So, looking in from the outside, do you meet your promises? Sometimes? All the time? Do you know to what your sales and support (and execs) are committing your product to do? Is it managed? Do you have a response, and apology, ready for when you cannot meet that commitment? Plan before, because if it hasn’t happened yet…it will. Even to the biggest companies.