AT&T Acts to Save Trees, Headaches
If you have an iPhone, yesterday you received this text from AT&T:
"We are simplifying your paper bill, removing itemized detail. To view all detail go to att.com/mywireless. Still need full paper bill? Call 611."What's the deal? The NY Times reports that AT&T was providing bills that itemized every call, every text message and every data transfer. Which sometimes added up to fifty or sixty pages of bill. Appalled customers have been posting YouTube videos of the themselves sorting through the lengthy bills -- the most popular of which has been viewed 3 million times. Others have blogged about the senseless waste of paper. Responding to customers' annoyance and concerns about the environment, the company is now sending summarized bills and allowing customers to opt into complete bills or to check them out online.
The story is a reminder of the danger of information overload and the advantages of allowing your customers to select the information they would like to receive (not to mention how easy it is for your customers to broadcast their grievances online). Rather than bombard everyone with lengthy brochures, bills or marketing materials, why not send out a short letter, text message, email or postcard and invite those who are interested to follow up by checking out further details on the web?
(Image of AT&T bill by scriptingnews, CC 2.0)