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Listening to what customers want and need

… that is the conclusion of Mike Kraus’s article titled “Catalog Choice - A Benefit for Retailers?“.  Mike tells the story from his perspective in his article published at Allbusiness.com.  Here are the key excerpts from Mike’s article.

The great news is that nearly a million people have signed up, opting to cut down their junk mail and more importantly, send a signal to retailers that they are wasting the planet’s natural resources by sending out the catalogs to people who don’t want them anyway.

…

It doesn’t matter how you sum up Catalog Choice, the fact is that people love it.  And it continues to grow.  And the retailers that take part gain credibility as being environmentally conscious and in tune with their customers, or potential customers’ needs.

I know I opted out of Hammacher Schlemmer six months ago and just yesterday, I received a catalog.  Do I think poorly of Catalog Choice for not being able to strike a deal?  Nope.  I think poorly of Hammacher Schlemmer who isn’t listening to me, who isn’t concerned about wasting resources, who is too self-centered to realize that they are having a negative impact on my perceptions of their company.

…
All I know is the halo effect around retailers such as Grandin Road, allposters.com and Relax the Back is heightened due to their desire to listen to their customers by not sending catalogs when customers don’t want them.  Hmmm.  Listening to what customers want and need.  That’s a concept every retailer can learn from.

This entry was posted on Tuesday, August 19th, 2008 at 11:18 am and is filed under Catalog Choice, Featured, Media Coverage, Merchants. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

24 Responses to “Listening to what customers want and need”

  1. Thanks for the link to that commentary. It’s wonderful that the movers and shakers in the business world have become increasingly supportive of Catalog Choice. I’ll reiterate that this service has made a huge difference for me. Through July and August, I’ve been receiving an average of just over one catalog per week. That’s an enormous shift, compared to how stuffed my mailbox was last year. Now I’m excitedly waiting on the edge of my seat to see what happens in October.

    On a less upbeat note, I did submit my first (and hopefully only) Prohibitory Order form today. It’s sad to put Title Nine in a position where they might be subject to federal prosecution. I don’t know what else to do. I really did try to get the message through.

    • I called Title Nine, then emailed my first opt-out request on 2/3/08
    • received further catalogs 3/10/08, 5/5/08, 5/31/08
    • emailed second opt-out request 5/31/08
    • received Title 9’s only response (an invitation to opt-down) 6/8/08
    • emailed third opt-out request 6/8/08
    • received further catalogs 7/19/08, 7/30/08, 8/19/08
    • mailed Prohibitory Order (PS Form 1500) 8/19/08

    Tracy Glomski on August 19th, 2008 at 2:16 pm

  2. Mr Kraus: Well said but…. when you stated it “appears DMA is anti CC.org”, I smiled, because they are just that. To listen to the customer will affect their marketing perimeter and they also feel that customers don’t have their heads on straight so DMA tries to get the customer to second guess their choice by encouraging the purchasers of their mailing lists to ignore the customer desiring optouts.
    NapaStyle and Diamond Essence don’t listen to me but whenever I call NapaStyle they have a recording that tries to shove their famous sea salt down my throat and, cuts me off when I select to get off their catalog. Diamond Essence just apologizes and goes about their business and continues to send their catalog.
    CC.org is doing their job and a good one at that.

    Yvonne Camesi on August 21st, 2008 at 1:07 pm

  3. Does anyone else get the same feeling that I have that once a merchant receives an opt-out request from catalogchoice with one customer number, they send out their catalog with a new customer number so that they can appear to have complied, but really did not? When I take a look at my opt-out request summaries, I see merchants from which I have opted out 6 and 7 times. Surely this is not because I was on that many mailing lists, with the same address but different customer numbers. Even these guys aren’t that dumb - they don’t want to do multiple mailings to the same person at that level - too costly!

    Michael Pirrung on August 22nd, 2008 at 8:38 am

  4. Michael: The many mail suppliers including local merchants that gather your mailing info along with catalogs companies and do share/sell or rent your info with several name variations amongst the marketing community without your approval. No, they are not dumb, just irresponsible and greedy.
    Some of us that have a few former names, deceased parents and are very much victims of the customer service number/name game roulette.Occasionally, hubby and I get double and quadruple mailings for having two residences even though we are living at one address and still do not want their mailings.
    I did a lot of research on the many independent mail suppliers and it’s phenominal. Deletion from unwanted mailings still should be by address and not name or customer service number.

    Yvonne Camesi on August 22nd, 2008 at 5:13 pm

  5. I agree with Michael. It’s totally frustrating. I keep opting out of catalogs and then it comes in my husbands name, or they put a middle initial in or a new customer number when I’ve NEVER ordered from them at all. And I also agree with Yvonne that the opt out should be by address. But I prevail - I hate getting six pounds of catalogs every day!

    Janet Diodoardo on August 23rd, 2008 at 2:25 pm

  6. In our free society, a lot of my free time would be spent asking catalog mailers to stop sending their unrequested/unwanted catalogs to me if it weren’t for Catalog Choice. My choice to be free of things I don’t desire is easier to exercise because of Catalog Choice. Catalog mailers are free to try to sell their wares to me using their catalog to make me aware of them. However, that freedom ends when I ask them to stop. Sadly, I am still spending my free time hauling a crate-full of unwanted catalogs to the recyclers every month. The failure to stop rests squarely on catalog retailers. I remain hopeful that some day they will stop sending their catalogs. Freedom is wonderful, but has its uglier side. Catalog Choice is a sane and I hope eventually effective way of avoiding this ugliness.

    Linda Hardenbergh on August 23rd, 2008 at 6:16 pm

  7. Just following up, I’d like to say that the USPS has been extremely efficient in issuing my Prohibitory Order. I sent it all the way from Nebraska to New York by first class mail on the 19th, and it was processed on the 22nd. I received the reply with the Prohibitory Order number today (the 25th).

    The company now has 30 days to cease their mailings to me. If they send yet another catalog after that date, I simply need to break open the tabs, write “I received this mailpiece on (date)” on the outside, sign it, and send it in. From there, the USPS forwards the matter to the Attorney General, who then makes application to the appropriate U.S. district court. Failure to comply with the Prohibitory Order may be ruled as contempt of court and is punishable as such.

    I’m reserving this tactic for companies who’ve ignored multiple opt-out requests that I’ve submitted directly. Perhaps this will finally get their attention. I’ll let you know how it all plays out.

    Tracy Glomski on August 25th, 2008 at 2:52 pm

  8. Tracy: Go Girl!

    Yvonne Camesi on August 25th, 2008 at 4:09 pm

  9. I have been out of circulation for a while and am so happy to get signed up for your service again.

    Barbara Mahler on August 26th, 2008 at 11:00 pm

  10. I am getting all these weird, small time catalogs. The more I opt out the more stuff I’m getting. HELP!

    tara palmer on August 28th, 2008 at 8:54 pm

  11. I just wanted to express my frustration with some merchants like Hannah Anderson and Victoria Secret as well as with Catalog Choice. I have a confirmed opt outs from several merchants (those two are an example) to no avail. I keep receiving the catalogs. I report the infraction, wait another 10 weeks, keep receiving the catalogs and so forth. Is Catalog Choice really working? I have been using it for about 6 months and if anything there is an increase in the amount of junk mail and catalogues I receive. I am seriously considering writing my congressman and proposing a law that creates something similar to the national “do not call registry” that ended telemarketing calls.
    Regards.

    kristen watt on August 29th, 2008 at 8:23 pm

  12. I agree with several writers; it seems that when you opt out of a catalog, they just send another with a different customer number. Is there anything that can be done about this other than continuing to opt out?

    Sue Ansel on August 31st, 2008 at 10:28 am

  13. Sue: I’ve been saying that catalogs need to delete by address and not name. The best alternative is a Do Not Mail legislation to alos cover bank, insurance, charity and other junk mailings that a consumer does not want.
    Kristen: if you go into forestethics.org, they really get radical about Victoria’s Secrects and call it “Victoria’s Dirty Little Secret”. I’ve already written my congressman and State Attorney General…. We’ll see.
    CC.org: What? under 8,500 to go to get that big big mark! Go for it! Thank you.

    Yvonne Camesi on August 31st, 2008 at 4:15 pm

  14. The service has been great - I was one of the early adopters in Oct. 2007, and with these tools I have reduced my catalog intake to next to nothing. The only exceptions are folks like Calyx Flowers (3 separate customer numbers so far) and CWD Kids (just don’t listen). Maybe more stringent action is needed for those guys, but that isn’t CC’s fault, it’s a choice the merchant makes to ignore their customers.

    Josh on September 1st, 2008 at 8:25 am

  15. Just to clarify part of Yvonne’s prior comment, Forest Ethics’ beef with Victoria’s Secret was primarily about using unsustainable wood from endangered forests. If you go to their website for that particular campaign (http://www.victoriasdirtysecret.net/), you’ll see that Victoria’s Secret changed their paper procurement policies and Forest Ethcis subsequently backed off. They’re going after Sears now (primarily), but again, it’s more about the origin of the wood than honoring customer opt-outs.

    Keep up the good work, CC!

    JJ on September 2nd, 2008 at 9:07 am

  16. Kristen:
    We are doing everything possible to get the merchants to honor your requests. There is no legal obligation. We are talking to the merchants every day and developing new features that we think will make it more likely for them to honor our requests. Hang in there. Change is coming.

    Chuck on September 2nd, 2008 at 5:46 pm

  17. Another benefit: no more shredding the address area and order forms to prevent identity theft! Thanks for making this service available.

    Gwen on September 2nd, 2008 at 8:46 pm

  18. Help… I am getting more magazines. This is not working for me. Does anyone have any suggestions?

    tara on September 3rd, 2008 at 5:22 pm

  19. JJ: Thanks for your info, I may be running for cover from CC.org, now, but they are the nice people. When I said radical, the last time I went to forestethics.org, their info had not changed. I don’t have all the hi tech video computer stuff that many have - I just have some experience with logistics of unwanted catalogs and junk mailings, and venturing about is limited. I thoroughly agree, with CC.org, Change is coming! They really have ampliified the consumer’s voice about excessive catalog mailings.

    Yvonne Camesi on September 3rd, 2008 at 7:50 pm

  20. Send the catalog compainies (sic) a direct e-mail opting out and mention that this is “A PRIVACY ACT REQUEST” This gets an immediate response.

    Also say to opt of of any and all derivations of your name & address and any and all customer numbers.

    This has worked in every instance.

    Good Luck.

    Glenna Daniels on September 4th, 2008 at 9:32 pm

  21. Eddie Bauer is one of the worst. For a company with an “environmental” philosophy - it is shameful. I have about 6 different customer numbers from them. Every time I decline one catalog, they just issue another one with a new customer number. I will NOT shop with them ever again. When will retailers learn that honoring our requests is a crucial part of what we expect in customer service!!!

    Debbie on September 5th, 2008 at 12:36 pm

  22. FEDERALLY REQUIRED AFFILIATE MARKETING NOTICE

    Received a notice today from a bank that I do business with.

    It listed their affiliates along with an 800 # to opt out of marketing from their affiliates (they listed 25 separate affiliates)

    BIG QUESTION here for Catalog Choice.

    DOES THE FEDERAL AFFILIATE MARKETING LAW EXTEND TO OTHER BUSINESSES, SPECIFICALLY DIRECT MARKETING (CATALOG) COMPANIES ?

    NOTE: When you opt out of marketing by your bank’s affiliates, it is in effect for
    5 years.

    Glenna Daniels on September 5th, 2008 at 8:35 pm

  23. I feel as others have written; I’m beginning to wonder if Catalogue Choice is enough. I called Sturbridge Yankee Workshop after getting 3 catalogues with three different customer numbers. The rep was able to tell me that they got my name from a large mailing list from a third party vendor. I think it is time to work for a “do not mail” list similar to a “do not call list” as another blogger suggested. It is just as invasive to find these catalogues in your mailbox as it is(was) to receive phone calls.

    Linda Caesar on September 8th, 2008 at 12:35 pm

  24. Yvonne & Christen: As for Victoria’s Secret, their website offers an option to decrease mailings. I tried, and have seen a definite decrease. After getting 2 or 3 catalogs per week, I am down to one per season. If that option interests you, try it out.

    Dawn on September 9th, 2008 at 7:53 pm
 

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