Everyone knows customers are king, right? Well, apparently not.
A prominent Internet Marketer recently upset a lot of people. It’s a great shame, because I had a lot of respect for him, and I’ve bought almost every single one of his products over the last few years.
Unfortunately he’s worn me down, on both his blog and by the things I’ve seen him do to other people including some of my friends and colleagues. I’ll have no more.
This weekend I unsubscribed from every one of his e-mail marketing lists, and unsubscribed from all three of his paid services. I won’t ever buy from him again, and I know a lot of other people who feel the same way after recent events.
I thought he was a genius, but I was wrong.
Any business person that fails to understand the basic tenets of treating people right is most definitely not a genius. It’s very, very disappointing.
His recent attempt to force people to choose who they associate with just on his say so is just wrong. In terms of destroying credibility and posture I think he’s done a very good job. JB, shame on you.
On a slightly different note, I updated my blogroll recently. That’s the list of blogs I highly recommend as essential reading for anyone interested in making money online. (And either directly or indirectly I know they all produce excellent products, and treat their customers with integrity and respect.)
The list is on the right side of this page under the heading “Recommended Sites”. Check them out.
I’ll end this rant by saying that blogs are incredibly powerful tools, but in the wrong hands they can be very damaging. Use them wisely, and always, always respect your customers. But I didn’t have to tell you that did I.
-Ed.
PS. A great book about how one bad blog post can ruin a company is here: Naked Conversations.
It’s the first book I ever read on blogging, and I would recommend it as essential reading for any business owner considering blogging as a platform to carefully build credibility and posture, (and how not to.)
January 21st, 2008 at 2:54 pm
Hi Ed,
I appreciate this must have been a difficult decision for you.
The good news (as you already know) is there are a lot of other people out there who do offer consideration, respect and great customer service – as I’ve mentioned a couple of times previously on my own blog.
Those are the people who deserve our accolades and will continue to get them.
And with the on-line social and peer-to-peer recommendation phenomenon that is currently happening, what people say – and tell – is going to have a greater influence on people’s reputation than ever before.
~ Carol Bentley
January 21st, 2008 at 6:38 pm
Hi Ed;
Very good article, you make some strong points.
I didn’t have to unsubscribe from his mailing lists… I was removed!
Thanks for putting me in your blogroll too!
Take care,
Fred
January 22nd, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Ooo, that hit a nerve Ed. Any more clues to who it is, so that I don’t inadvertently sign up?
Stay cool,
David M
January 23rd, 2008 at 2:21 am
Hello Ed!
I just quoted you on my blog, “Any business person that fails to understand…” What else is a 2%-er supposed to do? Well done, cut the losses and move on, what you certainly will do. I am very curious about your upcoming book.
Yours
John
P.S. Working too little and possibly too much baby-talk might not be too good a medicine for the brain or did the interns takeover the ‘ship’?
January 24th, 2008 at 5:10 pm
Hi,
To everyone who commented — I’m usually positive about most things, but this really got to me, otherwise I wouldn’t have blogged about it.
David — I suspect it won’t take you long to find out who I’m talking about if you really want to know. My advice is ‘tread carefully on the Internet’ — but then you’re an IT guy, so I’m sure you don’t need me to warn you!
-Ed.