Technology rules the label development and printing business. Order, fulfill, and ship online. Label graphic design and content often use technology to create the final product. From apps to AI, the entire process is now a series of technologically-fueled steps. Afterwards, customers are encouraged to complete surveys and leave reviews – all through automated platforms.

In this “robotic” environment, glorified as a customer-service benefit because of speed, streamlining, and simplicity, the personal touch is often abandoned or minimized. And when the apps don’t work right, the process goes askew or something breaks down in the print-to-delivery supply chain, label printing customers often are stuck with automated, impersonal resolution channels.

Despite how all the fancy technology is marketed, the bottom line too frequently is…the bottom line. Automating processes and procedures leads to the greater “efficiency” (aka cost-savings). When everything goes perfectly, this model works. Too often, it doesn’t go perfectly. Label printing customers end up dissatisfied and willing to share their negative experiences with others.

In this age of ubiquitous and imperfect technology, how can label printers differentiate themselves from the crowd, generate customer loyalty, and demonstrate top-notch customer service reflected in positive reviews, articles, and ratings?
The answer lies in meeting customers at their preferences – not the printer’s. In essence, customers should be able to design and dictate their experience in ways that best suit them.

customers want everything automated and do not need or want personal contact. At the other end of the continuum are customers wanting to have their hands held throughout the process. Obviously, this necessitates being able to communicate with a live person both qualified and motivated to make their experience as positive as possible.

Many label customers fall into the middle ground, wanting to avail themselves of live support when necessary and using digital, automated tools and apps the rest of the time.

The one thing that almost everyone wants is easy access to live support when needed, for as long as needed. That means a real, breathing person who will speak with them – not a chatbot or text representative.

This support needs to be sincere and complete, meaning non-scripted and empowered. Support representatives need to have broad latitude to help, without having to clear everything with a supervisor. And when higher-level support is needed, it should be efficiently accessed to ensure rapid resolution.

As for the non-scripted part, are you as weary of hearing the words, “I apologize…” as I am? Apologies can be a positive customer service tool, but not when they’re obviously part of a script that starts every conversation. Customer support needs to be focused on listening to and addressing customer concerns in a totally personalized way.

Remember, for some, reaching out for personal interaction can come after frustrating and time-consuming problems with technology. These problems can include trying to work through AI-fueled resolution protocols that have been woefully inadequate. These folks are ready for someone competent and responsive, and they don’t want scripted gobbledygook.

What the corporate bean counters forget – or don’t factor into their bottom-line calculations – is the incalculable value (or cost) of happy versus unhappy customers. Individual customer evaluations multiply quickly in the plus or minus column. This is because their recommendations, reviews, and other ways of spreading the word have major impact on the printer’s reputation.

There’s a major retailer out there that has lived and breathed consummate customer service for decades without promoting themselves via a formal marketing or advertising department: Costco. They built, maintain, and continue to build loyalty by treating their customers like gold. Positive word-of-mouth, which eventually expanded to social media and other “megaphones,” is their stock-in-trade.

And speaking of stock, Costco continues to be a very financially successful company by offering the best service administered by the best people in an environment where only the best, fully-vetted products typically land on their shelves. While there are glitches no matter what you do or how well you do it, Costco has withstood the test of time. The primary areas where Costco excels are generally aligned with the downfalls of the cost-saving printing model. The formula is simple, time-tested, and becoming all-too-rare in today’s corporate environment:

• Hire good people, compensate them well, motivate them to perform at optimum levels. (This results in longevity, a very experienced and competent team, and the ability to collaborate in many ways that benefit customers.)

• Make performance match marketing claims. Don’t promise anything that can’t be delivered, and deliver everything promised.
• Invest in the best equipment, supplies, and processes to support and further energize the excellent workforce (adding up to excellent productivity).

Personalized, tuned-in service and support also positively impacts the bottom line. It’s a formula used since the dawn of commerce that’s needed now more than ever.


Mark Lusky (www.markluskycommunications.com/mark-lusky-bio) is the president of Lusky Enterprises, Inc. (www.markluskycommunications.com), a 41-year-established marketing communications company dedicated to clients that live and breathe trust, likeability, and respect (thereby eschewing the “lie, cheat, steal” culture so prevalent today). Contact him at: 303-621-6136; [email protected].