Sunday, June 6, 2010

Favorite Brand Quality Value Convenience

Yes, my favorite brand is the on-air, online shopping outlet, QVC. I'm hooked. While I feel guilty visiting brick and mortar stores since I've been unemployed, I feel no shame sneaking a peek at channel 95 to see what's selling. I don't have to make a purchase, but I can revel in the discussions and presentations. It's true the hosts' chatter can be a bit corny and overly zealous, but they're a lot more fun than surly salespeople. I can buy sandals, sterling silver jewelry, make-up or a camera at any time, day or night.

QVC is a multi-media retailer offering 24/7 shopping via on-air presentations, QVC.com , text messages, and an iPhone app. There are YouTube, Facebook and Twitter pages supporting the company's efforts to build a loyal customer base. Conversations between followers/shoppers and the QVC team can be found at the Community page which also includes blogs. The latest thread announces the addition of yet another access point to QVC via Android. An April community posting by the QVC team announces improvements to the platform as a result of customer feedback. The two key ingredients of the groundswell can be found at QVC: technology and people.

I can set up e-mail alerts for reminders of an upcoming show of a favorite vendor. If I'm in doubt about a product, I can read reviews from other customers to help me decide. On the QVC site, I'm a "Spectator" as defined in Groundswell. I don't write reviews of the merchandise, but I'm an avid reader of them. QVC.com attracts more than six million viewers per month and yet the number or reviewers is much smaller suggesting what the Groundswell authors have noted, "since being a Spectator requires so much less effort than the other activities in the groundswell, it's no surprise that this is the largest group". I don't want to take the time to write a review, but what others say impacts my decision-making. Was that Isaac Mizrahi tartan plaid cheesecake really tasty?

The website also offers a chat feature for immediate customer assistance. I can create a wish list to share with friends via e-mail. No more excuses for not knowing what I want for my birthday! I'm not always ready or able to buy, but QVC is there...everywhere...when I am.

1 comment:

Rhonda said...

Very cool! I didn't know that much about QVC- I just found out about carrying great deals on Smashbox cosmetics. I like the idea of an online gift wish list too- brilliant!