Getting a job in PR/marketing

Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid at FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Image courtesy of Sura Nualpradid at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

I receive requests for information interviews on a regular basis. I enjoy helping students, recent grads, people who moved recently, former reporters and the like. However, “help” is the operative word.

It saddens me to find out that after laying a complete roadmap–where to network, who the players are, how to build experience, etc.–some of the people I meet with don’t follow any of my advice and consequently don’t end up working in PR/marketing.

I thought about this after reading an anecdote about golf in the John O’Hurley interview in Tactics. I can teach you how to golf, but you’re the one who has to actually swing the clubs at the end of the day–the ball isn’t going to move itself, and no one is going to hit it for you.

Sure, it may take you a few more swings than someone else, but eventually, you’ll get the ball in the hole. So don’t just sit there and hope a job falls in your lap–go hit the links!

Alphabet reminds us to focus

AlphabetGoogle was originally created as a web search business but as technology evolves, so has Google’s focus. That is, until yesterday when the answer finding site announced that it has now established a parent company, Alphabet, which will oversee all projects outside Google’s original realm of searching.

This change will allow Google to remain the search engine expert while Alphabet oversees other areas of technological exploration and advancement.

This move by Google is a reminder of the importance of brand focus. Companies should continuously look for new opportunities to grow, expand and market itself. However, it is equally as important to remain focused on your core offerings, as side projects can prove disastrous (see Google Wave, Google Buzz).

 

Great customer service

Last month, I ordered a black, leather wallet from Amazon.com. When it arrived, I was stunned to see I received a brown, plastic wallet instead.

So I begrudgingly started the return process and thought, what an annoyance to have to go through this (e.g. shipping it back) when it wasn’t my fault. It turns out I couldn’t complete the process, because the wallet I wanted was now out of stock.

I wrote Amazon’s customer service a note explaining the situation and seeking a recommendation. I was stunned by their response:

I’m so sorry to know that the item which you received was different from what was ordered. We certainly did not expect this to happen. As a customer service representative, I’m willing to help you in this issue.

It is certainly not our intention to ship incorrect products to our customers, and we will investigate the origin of this problem. Unfortunately, on rare occasions, fulfillment centers make a mistake when assembling a package. I’ve forwarded your message to our fulfillment team to make sure they’re aware of this incident.

When something like this happens, I’d normally send out a replacement order.  I’ve checked your order and see it that the item now is temporarily out of stock in  our website.

As a valued customer and as much as I want to help you, I’ve requested a full refund of $XX. This refund will appear in the next 2-3 business days as a credit on the original payment method used for the order. Once processed, you’ll also be able to see the refund here:

To avoid any inconvenience, as we don’t like to waste your precious time, there’s no need to return the item you received. You’re welcome to keep, donate or dispose of it–whichever option is most appropriate and convenient for you.

How awesome is that? As the saying goes, go above and beyond in customer service–and Amazon certainly did that.