Are You Giving Your Customers What They Need?

Amazon, that seller of everything on-line, recently did an amazing thing:

They gave their customers what they needed.

If you're like me, you use Amazon reviews quite extensively. Amazon reviews allows me to make a more informed purchasing decision because I can read feedback from people who are actually USING the products (Reading through the reviews, it's amazing how many things seem to NOT work with Microsoft's Vista OS.)

Always on the cutting edge, Amazon recently rolled out capabilities for video reviews. Problem was, hardly anyone was using them. So Amazon came up with a brilliant strategy:

they gave away free video cameras.

That's right. Amazon gave away $179.00 Flip Video Cameras. And they were smart about it ... they gave them away to people who consistently post reviews.

In other words, Amazon had set up a sales channel that wasn't working. Rather than abandon it, they chose instead to support it by giving people (customers, in this case) the materials they needed to get the job done. (I would have loved to have been a fly on the wall listening in on the negotiations between Amazon and Pure Digital, the makers of the Flip Video Camera!)

I got mine. Best of all, the give-away happened at a synchronistic time for me. Recently, I've been reviewing options to move into providing videos for my customers. The Flip Camera gives me an easy way to begin explore the digital video arena.

For years, I've been a big fan of Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. I was a fan even when the naysayers in the late '90's said that Amazon would never amount to much. This camera give-away continues to support my belief in Amazon, and not just because I got a free camera. Rather, it is strategic moves like these that shows how Amazon is continuing to provide their customers a better way. Strategies like that will always win in the marketplace.

Go, Jeff!


BOTTOM LINE: Superior leaders make sure they give their customers what they need. It's called great customer service.