Hi Benion [Edited by Mod to remove name]
One of our customers alerted us to the presence of this thread so I apologise for the delay between your original post(s) and my reply.
I'm Mark, the MD of Meridian Delta.
I am genuinely sorry that you felt so upset with the way that you were handled that you felt that you had to start this thread. Meridian Delta is a customer-led business proud of its proven direct marketing method which means that, out of every £1 we turn over, 44% of it is from existing customers returning within 6 months of their previous order.
We handle between 80-120 marketing campaigns per week for customers. From time to time, we make a mistake with a customer. I have reviewed our records of you and on some important things, we did misunderstand what you wanted and we weren't as fast with you as we normally are with customers.
For that, I offer my complete apologies to you. It was not deliberate or indicative of how we are normally as a business but I can understand the frustration you must have felt.
I have listened to your final call though and it is not correct that you had to threaten us with the Small Claims Court to get your money back. Our office manager had already begun to discuss compensation with you prior to your mention of the Small Claims Court.
The real pity for me, other than your unhappiness with our service to you, is that we didn't get the chance to work together a little bit more.
One of our account managers here used to be the sales manager of a cleaning firm. In 12 months, he took them from 9 cleaners to 120 cleaners - they specialised in food establishments and chain/fast-food restaurants and got some household names along the way. With your healthy contract cleaning, we were both excited by what we could have done for you if we'd been lucky enough to retain you as a customer.
Running a cleaning company is difficult - starting one up is even tougher. Our account manager explained to me the type of pressure you're under with all the different aspects of running your type of business. I am sorry that when you needed us, you felt our service was lacking - I promise it's not a true reflection of who we are.
One of the reasons we get such high re-order rates is not just the quality of the data we offer or the brilliant designs done by our in-house teams - it's the background of our account managers. They all come from widely different sectors - CCTV, corporate hospitality, online advertising, recruitment consultants, energy consultants, hotel management, sports publications, sales training and dozens more. There's a good chance that, whatever your line of business we're marketing for you, we have in-house sales experience of your sector.
For existing customers, you have access to all of our account managers to discuss their experiences and you can see how their experiences can fit in with growing your own particular type of business. For us as a marketing company, we think passing that type of knowledge on to you and it being available via a freephone number for a year after your purchase is one of our major unique selling points. Just ask your account manager to find the person in the company with the background closest to yours.
[Edited by Mod to remove name], I am so sorry we lost your trust and your business. Our door is open if you'd like to see if there's a future in us working together - we really hope there is a chance.
If we don't hear from you, your concept is brilliant and it deserves to work - especially with all the hard graft you've put in to get it off the ground. Good luck with your business and good luck with all your future marketing.
Regards
Mark Fairlie
PS We don't always get it right as a business. There are 50 of us at Meridian Delta and from time to time, something gets lost in the mix meaning our normal standards don't shine through. If you are reading this as a customer and feel we've let you down, please contact Victoria, the office manager, on victoria at meridiandeltadotcom or on 0191 235 9560.
