Update: I just found an interesting article on Kinko's founder Paul Orfalea, one of the world's most inspiring entrepreneurs. He is an example of very successful people with ADD.
The other day I wrote an entry criticizing one of the decisions recently implemented by FedEx regarding the takeover and renaming of the world-famous Kinko's brand. The main point of the argument was that, judging solely by comments I found on Twitter regarding the Kinko's brand and experiences in their copy shops, FedEx made a bad choice taking the Kinko's name off the stores and simply calling it FedEx Office. I argued that for many the Kinko's brand was synonymous with bad customer service and overpriced print and copy services, and that unless FedEx plans to fix the problems associated with the stores, those negative feelings once reserved for Kinko's will soon be targeted at the greater FedEx brand itself.
The core of the argument was based on the idea that most people harbor ill will toward Kinko's.
Now let's look at it from a different perspective.
First off, I said off the bat that most of the Tweets about Kinko's were simple statements, like "I'm going to Kinko's." These far outnumbered the qualitative Tweets about Kinko's (e.g. "I hate Kinko's" or "I love Kinko's!"). So one could draw the conclusion that these people in the former group, in advertising and endorsing the Kinko's name, are implying that they've had mostly good experiences with the company (or else why would they come back?).
Now, let's look at the nitty gritty of why FedEx Office (Kinko's) still prospers and will probably continue to do so, even as companies like our own undercut their prices by upwards of 500 percent.
1. FedEx Office / Kinko's has a location in almost every decent sized city. This means that when you need something NOW, not three days from now, you can drive over there and have your copies or books in minutes. This is great if you're in a bind or short on time, and it's no wonder they are so popular with students.
2. They have no minimums. Sure, their color copies might cost $.50 a piece, but if all you need are 10 copies that's not too much of a concern. Again, that's part of why they're popular among students (and teachers, for that matter).
3. Kinko's is much more geared at the consumer. While companies like ours do serve thousands of single-person consumers, our prices and services are much more geared at businesses and organizations who typically need a lot more than just 10 color copies or three bound books.
4. Kinko's does a lot more than color copies and printing. In short, they are diversified. You can get your passport there, you can rent time on a computer with Internet access, you can pick up some basic office supplies, and you can ship packages. We do none of those things; color copying and printing is our specialty, and we couldn't implement some of these other things if we wanted to.
These are the four main points I can think of off hand why Kinko's is useful, and why they will never be put out of business by the likes of us and other online printing companies. Can you think of any more reasons? Post in the comments below.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Friday, November 6, 2009
Kinko's, or FedEx Office? My Two Cents
As our in-house search engine optimizer, social media networker, public relations guy, etc., I do a fair amount of research on what's being said about us and our "competitors" on a regular basis. One place where I can always get up-to-the-minute feedback is on Twitter. I frequently search to see what's being said about other companies in our industry, and of course the one company that's always a-buzz is Kinko's (or, as they are called now, FedEx Office).
Most posts are simply people sending status updates to their friends like, "I'm off to Kinko's (again), then to Starbucks, then to the gym..." (Actually, you would be surprised how many people follow up a trip to Kinko's with a trip to Starbucks. I read this as saying that Kinko's is right across the street from Starbucks, which seems almost too perfect -- people can get their overpriced copies from a huge corporate chain and walk right across the street to get overpriced coffee from another huge corporate chain! But I digress...)
Other times, the Tweets are qualitative judgments on the Kinko's experience (e.g. "The customer service at Kinko's is terrible," or "The guy who helped me at Kinko's was super nice."). Now I'm going to make a rough estimate here, since I haven't done any scientific quantitative studies on this, but it seems to me that those types of Tweets are roughly 5-to-1 in favor of bad experiences. When they're bad, it's usually something to do with A) outrageous prices, or B) bad service from under-trained employees. Regardless of the reasons or the exact ratio, it is safe to say that the bad comments outnumber the good.
Over the last year or so since FedEx and Kinko's merged, the brand name has been in constant flux. I believe that most recently, they have done away with the Kinko's name all together in favor of FedEx Office.
Though I'm not really a Public Relations expert (I have a BA in Journalism, thank you -- the Light Side to PR's Dark Side), I think FedEx corporate would do well to fire their head PR officer over this.
For a lot of people, their brand name has become synonymous with "bad service," "high prices," and "unreliability."
Regardless of how the general public viewed FedEx before the takeover, it simply cannot be good for the all-encompassing FedEx name to replace the Kinko's name. It seems to follow reason that, eventually, all the negative qualities associated with the Kinko's brand are going to be passed on to the larger FedEx name. I wonder what sort of exchange FedEx's PR department has with their customers, specifically Kinko's customers, and whether this was ever a topic of discussion among top managers when they considered switching the brand. It seems like a no-brainer that this should have been given serious thought.
Unless FedEx is going to make a concerted effort to lower their prices and actually train their employees on how to run the machines and treat customers like their business matters, they are going to absorb all the negative connotations associated with the Kinko's name. If they're not going to increase the quality of their services, they might as well change the name back to Kinko's and forget FedEx Office ever existed. After all, it's only a name. Why not stick with the name that's already been sullied with years of bad customer satisfaction?
For the record, I know not all Kinko's are that bad. The one I occasionally had to go to for last-minute prints in college had a staff that was mostly very courteous and helpful. I am basing this purely on what I have observed in the Twittersphere, and even then there's still that roughly 1 in 5 that had a good experience. But they should not discount the other 4.
Ultimately, it matters not to us, because the more displeased people become with the large corporate brands they are used to dealing with (Staples, Office Depot, Kinko's), the more likely they are to look for alternatives and end up finding us.
But I thought I'd share my 2 cents on this... maybe, just maybe, someone in the FedEx corporate offices will read it and take it to heart.
Most posts are simply people sending status updates to their friends like, "I'm off to Kinko's (again), then to Starbucks, then to the gym..." (Actually, you would be surprised how many people follow up a trip to Kinko's with a trip to Starbucks. I read this as saying that Kinko's is right across the street from Starbucks, which seems almost too perfect -- people can get their overpriced copies from a huge corporate chain and walk right across the street to get overpriced coffee from another huge corporate chain! But I digress...)
Other times, the Tweets are qualitative judgments on the Kinko's experience (e.g. "The customer service at Kinko's is terrible," or "The guy who helped me at Kinko's was super nice."). Now I'm going to make a rough estimate here, since I haven't done any scientific quantitative studies on this, but it seems to me that those types of Tweets are roughly 5-to-1 in favor of bad experiences. When they're bad, it's usually something to do with A) outrageous prices, or B) bad service from under-trained employees. Regardless of the reasons or the exact ratio, it is safe to say that the bad comments outnumber the good.
Over the last year or so since FedEx and Kinko's merged, the brand name has been in constant flux. I believe that most recently, they have done away with the Kinko's name all together in favor of FedEx Office.
Though I'm not really a Public Relations expert (I have a BA in Journalism, thank you -- the Light Side to PR's Dark Side), I think FedEx corporate would do well to fire their head PR officer over this.
For a lot of people, their brand name has become synonymous with "bad service," "high prices," and "unreliability."
Regardless of how the general public viewed FedEx before the takeover, it simply cannot be good for the all-encompassing FedEx name to replace the Kinko's name. It seems to follow reason that, eventually, all the negative qualities associated with the Kinko's brand are going to be passed on to the larger FedEx name. I wonder what sort of exchange FedEx's PR department has with their customers, specifically Kinko's customers, and whether this was ever a topic of discussion among top managers when they considered switching the brand. It seems like a no-brainer that this should have been given serious thought.
Unless FedEx is going to make a concerted effort to lower their prices and actually train their employees on how to run the machines and treat customers like their business matters, they are going to absorb all the negative connotations associated with the Kinko's name. If they're not going to increase the quality of their services, they might as well change the name back to Kinko's and forget FedEx Office ever existed. After all, it's only a name. Why not stick with the name that's already been sullied with years of bad customer satisfaction?
For the record, I know not all Kinko's are that bad. The one I occasionally had to go to for last-minute prints in college had a staff that was mostly very courteous and helpful. I am basing this purely on what I have observed in the Twittersphere, and even then there's still that roughly 1 in 5 that had a good experience. But they should not discount the other 4.
Ultimately, it matters not to us, because the more displeased people become with the large corporate brands they are used to dealing with (Staples, Office Depot, Kinko's), the more likely they are to look for alternatives and end up finding us.
But I thought I'd share my 2 cents on this... maybe, just maybe, someone in the FedEx corporate offices will read it and take it to heart.
Friday, October 30, 2009
Great feedback from another customer
We don't like to brag, but... well, yes we do. Because we're proud of our ability to put out high quality products that literally WOW our customers right out of their socks. With that said, here's another raving review of our services, and the second one we've gotten this week:
I am so pleased with the finished product!!!! The preschool families are amazed--and we were able to sell every single cookbook! The preschool made some much needed funds! Thanks to your super quick production and very reasonable pricing!!! Thank you again!
-Amber
I am so pleased with the finished product!!!! The preschool families are amazed--and we were able to sell every single cookbook! The preschool made some much needed funds! Thanks to your super quick production and very reasonable pricing!!! Thank you again!
-Amber
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Time for Us to Give You Money
They say there's no such thing as a free lunch. That may be true, we wouldn't know. But there is such a thing as free money.
Take our affiliate program, which we'll be launching very soon. This is going to be an opportunity for you to make money just by referring people to our company via a banner link on your website or blog.
There's two ways to make the money. If you place a lot of orders with us already, you might want to go with the Store Credit option. For every visitor that clicks over to our site from yours and places an order, you will get 10% of that order in the form of a coupon, which can be used on any one order for the next year.
If you'd rather have the cash, that's fine too. You'll get 5% of any order that comes in through your link.
Stay tuned for more information on this sweet deal and to find out when it's available.
Take our affiliate program, which we'll be launching very soon. This is going to be an opportunity for you to make money just by referring people to our company via a banner link on your website or blog.
There's two ways to make the money. If you place a lot of orders with us already, you might want to go with the Store Credit option. For every visitor that clicks over to our site from yours and places an order, you will get 10% of that order in the form of a coupon, which can be used on any one order for the next year.
If you'd rather have the cash, that's fine too. You'll get 5% of any order that comes in through your link.
Stay tuned for more information on this sweet deal and to find out when it's available.
Tuesday, October 27, 2009
Another fantastic testimonial on our color copying services
Yet again, we've received another great testimonial from a customer who was blown away by the value and quality of our color copies. Observe:
Our youth organization is more than pleased with the entire process that DocuCopies has offered. We were able to not only complete the task of our annual program/yearbook, but we were able to do so with beautiful color, top quality, and an extremely high end book, but most importantly, we were able to do it within budget and actually save money, to help fund the needs of the youth involved in the organization and surrounding communities. THANK YOU DOCUCOPIES! We will definately utilze your services again next year, as well as finding new projects to have a reason to come back sooner and we are spreading the word in our area that your services our respectable, reliable and SPEEDY!!
-Wendy
Our youth organization is more than pleased with the entire process that DocuCopies has offered. We were able to not only complete the task of our annual program/yearbook, but we were able to do so with beautiful color, top quality, and an extremely high end book, but most importantly, we were able to do it within budget and actually save money, to help fund the needs of the youth involved in the organization and surrounding communities. THANK YOU DOCUCOPIES! We will definately utilze your services again next year, as well as finding new projects to have a reason to come back sooner and we are spreading the word in our area that your services our respectable, reliable and SPEEDY!!
-Wendy
Tuesday, October 20, 2009
10% off for churches and religious institutions
Color Copying and Printing Company Docucopies.com Gives 10% Off to Churches and Religious Institutions
HUDSON, WI, October 16, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The online color copying and printing company, Docucopies.com, announced today that they are running a special promotion on color copies, booklets, books, and all their other digital printing products.
Unlike many of their past specials, this one is geared specifically at churches, religious groups and faith-based organizations, who have made up a significant portion of their clientele for years.
Customers in this category can get an additional 10 percent off any job type, whether it be plain color copies, or multi-page books and booklets, postcards, flyers, or anything else from their wide range of products.
"If it weren't for the spiritual and religious communities we serve, our business would not be what it is," says marketing director Jeff Corbo. "This is the least we could do to thank them for their continued business."
It seems from experience that their customers have been just as thankful to have Docucopies. By saving as much time and money on their printing products as possible, they are able to donate greater time and resources to serving their members and communities.
One satisfied customer recently commented, "We were so pleased with the quality and price of the copies. The website is very self-explanatory and the ordering was simple. I was in a bind and needed the copies quickly and that was certainly accomplished! Our church will definitely use your services again when the need arises."
This promo runs through October 23. Customers can enter the coupon code "church10" to get their 10 percent off.
For those who cannot get their jobs in before this promo expires, Docucopies has you covered: they are always running a 5-percent discount for churches, non-profits and schools with their "np5" coupon code.
For more information on Docucopies and their myriad printing and mailing services, log on to http://www.docucopies.com.
HUDSON, WI, October 16, 2009 /24-7PressRelease/ -- The online color copying and printing company, Docucopies.com, announced today that they are running a special promotion on color copies, booklets, books, and all their other digital printing products.
Unlike many of their past specials, this one is geared specifically at churches, religious groups and faith-based organizations, who have made up a significant portion of their clientele for years.
Customers in this category can get an additional 10 percent off any job type, whether it be plain color copies, or multi-page books and booklets, postcards, flyers, or anything else from their wide range of products.
"If it weren't for the spiritual and religious communities we serve, our business would not be what it is," says marketing director Jeff Corbo. "This is the least we could do to thank them for their continued business."
It seems from experience that their customers have been just as thankful to have Docucopies. By saving as much time and money on their printing products as possible, they are able to donate greater time and resources to serving their members and communities.
One satisfied customer recently commented, "We were so pleased with the quality and price of the copies. The website is very self-explanatory and the ordering was simple. I was in a bind and needed the copies quickly and that was certainly accomplished! Our church will definitely use your services again when the need arises."
This promo runs through October 23. Customers can enter the coupon code "church10" to get their 10 percent off.
For those who cannot get their jobs in before this promo expires, Docucopies has you covered: they are always running a 5-percent discount for churches, non-profits and schools with their "np5" coupon code.
For more information on Docucopies and their myriad printing and mailing services, log on to http://www.docucopies.com.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
A Rave Review
One of our customers was very pleased with their job -- ecstatic might even be the right word. Behold:
FANTASTIC! The ISSA Kentuckiana chapter and myself cannot thank you enough for the incredible product and service you provided for us. With slow clients sending in their submission, we had to push our printing deadline back to the point of fear. We were worried it wouldn't make it to us in time because we gave you short notice, but your courteous, knowledgeable staff not only got the job done on time, but I was BLOWN away by the quality. I personally pulled 10 quotes for our project (300 28 page programs). Of those 10 quotes (5 online and 5 local printers) you were the lowest by FAR in price. Initially we worried that could be an indication of poor service or quality. You really delivered, and we cannot thank you enough. You made me look good as I was heading up the programs and I will refer you to ANYONE that brings up printing needs. If you ever need a reference, feel free to rely on me or anyone in my the ISSA Kentuckiana Chapter organization. Regards, [customer name]
FANTASTIC! The ISSA Kentuckiana chapter and myself cannot thank you enough for the incredible product and service you provided for us. With slow clients sending in their submission, we had to push our printing deadline back to the point of fear. We were worried it wouldn't make it to us in time because we gave you short notice, but your courteous, knowledgeable staff not only got the job done on time, but I was BLOWN away by the quality. I personally pulled 10 quotes for our project (300 28 page programs). Of those 10 quotes (5 online and 5 local printers) you were the lowest by FAR in price. Initially we worried that could be an indication of poor service or quality. You really delivered, and we cannot thank you enough. You made me look good as I was heading up the programs and I will refer you to ANYONE that brings up printing needs. If you ever need a reference, feel free to rely on me or anyone in my the ISSA Kentuckiana Chapter organization. Regards, [customer name]
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