I Could Be Dead In 1-2 Days!

Does your company have an automated message like this display when a prospective customer fills out an information request form on your website? 

If you answered yes might I ask why your CEO, business leaders and/or sales team wants to keep you from earning your hard earned paycheck?

You should cry foul!


You should get mad!

You should demand change!

Your customers need you rise up on their behalf!

Think of it this way.  I am a self-identifying prospective customer that is filling out a form on your website to either A) get more information B) request pricing C) wants to order your product or service....and BAM! I get this ridonkulous (yes...I said it!) message saying:

"We've received your message and will respond to you in 1-2 days."  1-2 days?  You can't be serious? I could be dead in 1-2 days!  I want to buy now! I have money and I want to give you.  I am impulse buying - what else is the Internet, or your web page for that matter, good for? 

I am hot to trot and rather than flame my passion for what you have to offer you are throwing the equivalent of a bucket of cold water on me.

Ssssssssss - Hear that?  That's my money which makes up your house payment, your car loan, your end of year bonus....reduced to black chard smoking unimpressed and dissatisfied opportunity escaping like a child's balloon on a summer's day. 

Oh and that CLANK you hear is the sound of my wallet closing and my mental commitment to not spend a dime with you EVER even when your company does finally  grace me with a response (most likely another automated impersonal email message).

Today's technology means I could literally be anywhere in the world purchasing your product or service.  I may have heard how awesome your company is from a guy at the airport and decided to fire up my laptop and order right then and there.  I may be having lunch with one of your super awesome customers and pull out my iPad to want to get more information.  I could be really needing your XYZ to complete the bid that is due by 5PM today but can't because I have to wait 1-2 days for a clueless sales rep to get back with me.

In each of those scenarios you might has well have a pop up guy on the web page yell DENIED just as I hit enter.  It would accomplish about the same thing!

Do a self-audit right now.  Go to your website just as one of your client's might and see how much head wind your company gives to a prospective customer.  If it's any at all you should immediately start barking like a ravaged dog protecting a bone.  After all today's lost customer may turn into two which may turn into three which...well you get the point.

You can't cash unemployment checks with an ID and a what should have been.  I'm just saying....