Are Your Customers Getting the Wrong Message?

A few weeks ago, I received an email from Zoom informing me that Zoom Scheduler was becoming a paid service. Don't panic, as I did; this story has a happy ending and a reality check.

So back to the email. My immediate reaction was, I am not paying one more cent let alone $5.99 per month, for the ability to schedule meetings on a meeting platform. They have LOST their minds.

So I started investigating. And the more I looked into it, the more frustrated I became.

It turns out that Zoom Scheduler is a feature that allows people to book time with you through a Zoom-hosted online calendar. It is not the same thing as scheduling a Zoom meeting.

I took my frustration to the interwebs to bask in confused customer camaraderie.

There were Reddit threads; the Zoom community forum was on fire. They were releasing statements and sending more emails to explain the ONE thing that should have been crystal clear...

"We recently sent you an email about a change to your Zoom Workplace Pro plan, and we want to clear up any confusion. ... Your ability to schedule and host Zoom meetings is not changing."

Think about how terrifying that sentence is. Scheduling and hosting meetings is what they do, and a significant number of people, including me, thought that was going away unless I paid more.

Tomato, Tomahto Matters

Zoom knew exactly what Zoom Scheduler meant. But a ton of customers who schedule Zoom meetings on their own did not.

And Zoom is not alone.

I speak to so many people in the industry who use acronyms and talk about optimization, automation, and workflow as though it's clear to everyone what their company specifically does within those topics. Is industrial print and production print different? Depends on who you ask. Is inkjet digital printing or inkjet printing? I have also heard digital toner and digital inkjet.

Your mission is not to get the industry on the same page; it's to make sure your customers understand the words you use, the services you offer, and how you can help them achieve the results they need.

A glossary is a wonderful thing. Put one up on your site to clearly define what YOU offer, and what customers need to make informed decisions.

I am a big fan of "Did You Know" communications. They can be fun, informative, and help your customers do more work with you. Start with small components of applications you can sell for more. For example, educate your customers about upgraded binding methods, creative folding, die-cuts, stickers to seal envelopes or take-out bags. Do they know all the sizes of postcards they can send before postage goes up? Do they know that a pocket folder can become a customer experience with a few alterations?

There is a customer knowledge gap you may not know exists. Zoom learned the hard way. You don't have to.

The preceding content was provided by a contributor unaffiliated with Printing Impressions. The views expressed within may not directly reflect the thoughts or opinions of the staff of Printing Impressions. Artificial Intelligence may have been used in part to create or edit this content.