An End To Conning The Customer

It was once the assumed practice that in order to attract and retain loyal customers, tricks, cons and sugar-coated marketing were essential. This, personally, is the legacy of the era before customers could scream and shout on social networks.

Huge incentives were given to sales personnel, who were trained to convince customers to buy what the company wanted to push, instead of the right product for that consumer. Deals such as given 6 months’ free mobile phone contracts were actually only given when you applied for cash-back within a two week period some time in the future.

Bait and switch, con and trick. And what did all this really show? Companies did not trust the quality, relevancy, or need of their products enough.

The changes that are slowly happening within the retail sector are, quite plainly, a miracle. Some companies (granted mostly start-ups, and not the Goliaths of old), are creating truly fantastic products, with a genuine attitude of giving value to customers.

One example though, of a big-boy-bully changing its tactics, is DSGi (Dixons, PC World, Currys). They are slowly realising they are, honestly, fucked. Confusing customers with techno-babble in order to up-sell, no longer works, as more and more of the population become tech-savvy.

But the true test, is to see if companies like DSG are being authentic, and this will soon show. They obviously see that today’s consumer is more informed, and their needs are changing to that of honesty and quality. But are they, and other organisations used to trickery, still going to attempt to appear honest – or has a leopard really changed its spots?