The postal system implemented Rural Free Delivery (RFD) in 1896. Since the country was literally wireless, telephone wireless, two-way communication was by post. RFD also made the mail order business possible. By permitting the classification of mail order publications as aids in the dissemination of knowledge, it entitled those catalogs a one cent per pound postage rate. That made the rural distribution of catalogues quite economical while the railroads provided distribution to delivery points.
The Sears, Roebuck and Co. catalog called itself the "Book of Bargains: A Money Saver for Everyone," and the "Cheapest Supply House on Earth," claiming that
"Our trade reaches around the World." At the apex for mail order merchandise, you have the model website for its time that included testimonials from satisfied customers. The catalogue made every effort to assure the reader that Sears had the lowest prices and best values. The 1903 catalog included the commitment, "Your money back if you are not satisfied."
The point is that it is not just one thing that makes a milestone, but a combination of things that is transformative. The combination of catalogue, RFD, and the rail system made it easy for customers to buy.
Talk about making it easy, here are some more combinations for consideration. The increasing use of the credit card from 1958 is a significant development for consumers and culture. Add that to the introduction of the American Telephone & Telegraph (AT&T) 800 toll-free service in 1967, so that subscribers like Sears could allow their customers to reach them without toll charges, and you have a milestone.
The next milestone occurred when the development of an Internet from 1957 is coupled with the relative affordability of the personal computer from about 1986. Add to that combination the growth privately owned shipping services with incredible logistics like UPS and FedEx and by 1994 the Dotcom bubble is on with the founding of Amazon. The next year brought Craigslist, Yahoo and eBay. That being noted, the milestone is that consumers could look at an online catalogue, call a customer service agent, process and pay for an order and have it delivered the next day.
Article comments
1 - Helene
Great article. The writer challanges what has become a society of stale efforts to build real people connections!
2 - Bob Snyder
Tom, I enjoyed your article.Customer service Based on Trust Sells.A wise woman once told me to go where your Celebrated not just Tolerated.In memory of the Cheers Tv Show,(A Place Where Every One Knows Your Name).Multiple service, and products are multiple reasons to buy, But People sell People.
3 - Bob Snyder
Tom, I enjoyed your article.Customer service Based on Trust Sells.A wise woman once told me to go where your Celebrated not just Tolerated.In memory of the Cheers Tv Show,(A Place Where Every One Knows Your Name).Multiple service, and products are multiple reasons to buy, But People sell People.
4 - William Waite
Ah Tommy, you’ve done it again. As I’ve shared with you on previous occasions, I so enjoy how you frequently manage to weave a little pertinent history into whatever point you’re trying to make. Equally important, you can never go too wrong quoting the psalmist Jimmy Buffet.
Speaking of the Parrothead leader, here’s another snippet that is apropos for your discussion of social media:
“Relationships! We all got ‘em; we all want ‘em. What do we do with ‘em?”
Despite the maddening exhortation from enterprises large and small to “Like us on FaceBook”, the simple fact is that this does not a relationship make. As with our websites, blogs and even our snail-mail marketing pieces, content is king. If we fail to engage that customer or client with something that is meaningful to them, we are only deluding ourselves. That reality, coupled with recent revelations that Mr. Zuckerberg and his crew have routinely continued to track and store (and perhaps even market or further disseminate details of) the online travels of FaceBook patrons long after they’ve ceased to even have pages makes me extremely reticent to have anything to do with FaceBook.
Twitter on the other hand may ultimately have more value because it is inherently more interactive. As has been shown in recent months, it can be used to rally large numbers of people with common interests. Properly used, Twitter can effectively reach customers and clients and they in turn can respond quickly to not only the sender but also to everyone in their particular realm of the Twitosphere.
Therein lies a relationship, my friend. Best regards.