McAfee users, we have a problem
April 23rd, 2010 | 
Author: I am fascinated by the developing story where the latest update to McAfee anti-virus software crippled Windows XP users across the globe. McAfee has committed massive errors on two fronts: (1) failure to adhere to strict quality control procedures and (2) horrible PR following the event.
In the software industry, rigorous testing is vital. There is nothing more frustrating to users than buggy software. Even worse, when you produce mission-critical software (anti-virus, firewalls, CRM, ERP) which is faulty, you risk causing significant financial harm to your customers as well.
McAfee recently owned up to “inadequate quality control” as the root cause of the bad update which wreaked havoc on IT departments world-wide this week. This mea culpa is great in theory, but it’s the anti-virus equivalent of recklessly destroying everything in an antique shop and then telling the owner, “My bad.”
The fact that McAfee posting nothing about this massive problem (or how to resolve it) on its Enterprise homepage is appalling. Wouldn’t that be the first place a user would go for assistance? And where is the accountability from senior leadership? The famous Tylenol tampering case is the prime example of a company executing a swift and effective response, and it all started from the top of the org chart. A recent General Motors television ad features CEO Ed Whitacre explaining how GM has revamped its image and paid back its federal bailout loan in full with interest. Whether you think this is good or bad, these are the types of mea culpa that customers expect nowadays.
It will be interesting to see how the rest of this McAfee story plays out. Hopefully someone from the top will take responsibility for this blunder and attempt to restore customer’s faith in McAfee’s products. Because even though buggy software is bad, losing all your customers because of it is even worse.
Update (4/26/2010): It seems McAfee is taking steps to reimburse Home and Home Office users for “reasonable expenses” incurred by this faulty DAT file. That’s nice, but what about your Business customers? The response page for business customers merely points them to the traditional support channels such as the online knowledge base. It stands to reason that McAfee receives a majority of its revenue from its Enterprise customers. While it may be costly in the short-term to rectify the situation financially (i.e., reimburse them or offer free subscriptions), McAfee is really shooting themselves in the foot by not responding more decisively to help its most valuable customers.
Personalized for your pleasure
It’s easy to feel lost in the crowd.
Having recently filled out the U.S. Census form, I cannot help but be reminded that I am just another number to the government. I was also fortunate enough to be attending Duke University during the men’s basketball national championship run earlier this month. However, it became clear that I am merely one sports fan among tens of thousands cheering for Duke.
Looking at it from another perspective, businesses tend to forget that their customers are individuals, too. Customers don’t think of themselves part of a “segment.” They don’t categorize themselves into a demographic bucket. They are each unique, and it would benefit companies to remember this.
The other day I had a small, but remarkable, experience at my local Wachovia branch. I went to the ATM to deposit a couple checks. I was spacing out as the machine processed my deposit, when I noticed a “Happy Birthday” graphic appear on the screen, complete with a cake, candles, and balloons. My birthday was in a few days, and I’ll admit, that kind of made my day!
Even though it was a simple customization using the birthdate I provided when I opened my account, it still felt special – as if Wachovia knew me as a person, not just an account number. As a technology enthusiast, I really appreciated the use of readily-available information to create a unique experience for a customer.
According to research by IBM, nearly 15 petabytes of data are created everyday. That’s a lot of information! What opportunities are businesses missing by not effectively understanding and utilizing their customer data? How easy would it be for a clothing retailer to selectively target promotions to customers based on their purchase behavior? What if, during your next visit to the dentist, they wished you a happy birthday or a happy anniversary?
The information is there. We just have to learn how to more effectively use it! Technology, whether it’s a simple CRM system or a complex data mining application, can unleash some real competitive advantages for firms.
How will your business more effectively use its information? Do you know which of your customers are celebrating a birthday today?
Posted in Uncategorized | 
Tags: customer, customization, information, marketing, technology | 
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