The ability to fulfill this promise is questionable.  I had several pending purchases, and thought it would be interesting to test the power of Twelp Force to assist me in my decision.

The first purchase related to my 2G iPhone.  I have been thinking about upgrading, but I am hesitant.   Six months after I bought my phone, Apple introduced a 3G phone at a cheaper price.   So, I was curious if it is worth upgrading to a 3Gs or is it better to wait until June 2010 to see if Apple will release a 4G phone.  To this question, I tweeted TwelpForce for assistance.  I didn’t receive much help. 

@egbowe:
I currently own an 2g iphone. should i wait until 4g comes out or buy a 3g now? @twelpforce6:00 PM Aug 25th from web

@Lodenk:
@egbowe There have been no announcements about a 4G iphone, I have the 3GS and the upgrade from using Edge to 3G is great. via @Lodenk

Although I appreciate the honesty (and endorsement for 3G), it became apparent the stadium of TwelpForcers were not any more in the know about Apple’s future plans than I was. 

My second attempt at Twelpforce was in reference to purchasing a new HDTV.  My current Sony was dieing a slow tubular death, so I was in search of a replacement.  I planned on spending about $1,000.   I did a little research on Best Buy’s Site and CNET to get a feel for different features.  I quickly realized I had no clue which features were most important for that price range, and which features weren’t worth buying.  I thought this was a good question to ask TwelpForce.   The following is the twitter exchange:

@egbowe:
I am looking for a new LCD HDTV from $1k to $1.2k, What features are “gotta have” versus “nice to have” versus “not worth it” ? @twelpforce

@agent3012:
@egbowe Here’s some initial HDTV feature tips, if you haven’t already read: http://bit.ly/3KCEJM via @Agent3012

@agent3012:
@egbowe The features I generally look at 1st are contrast ratio, refresh rate (Hz), and the number of inputs. via @agent3012

@BBYCiaran:
@egbowe 1080p and 120hz should be priority via @BBYCiaran

Several initial thoughts on the exchange.  First, the immediate response was impressive.  I do like the information received, although I didn’t find it very useful.  Another point relates to the first tweet response – sending me to a page on Best Buy which lists a glossary of terms and industry jargon doesn’t help.  My goal of talking to someone is to answer my question, not learn it for myself (I already tried that).

I was going to continue the twitter dialogue, but I felt it was fruitless for several reasons.  First being, it is not practical to exchange knowledge in 140 character bits of info. 

Secondly, I don’t think Best Buy Tweeters can truly answer my questions.  Although TwelpForce did a part of my question, the one question I would like to know is “what features are not worth it?” when spending $1,000 on an HDTV.  I could have re-asked the question, but I was losing patience.  So I tried a different tactic, and I did get my questions answered in about two minutes — at a Best Buy.  The store personnel were very helpful.  This is not a surprise to me.  In my experience I find Best Buy Employees helpful and most are knowledgeable about the products they represent. 

I think the TwelpForce is more PR play than a true customer service option.  Look, Best Buy has brain power to answer the question, when you consider their knowledgeable workforce (including Geek Squad).  So, this is not a function of desire, rather a limitation of Twitter as a customer service tool. 

An opportunity for Best Buy would be to not restrict  TwelpForce to the twitter channel.  Having Twitter as the end all be all limits customer interactions to micro-conversations.  Rather TwelpForce should be a mechanism for introduction.  If appropriate, an introduction which follows re-routes people to their different service channels: The Unboxed Community, Email, Phone, or the nearest retail outlet.  I think some agents have already figured re-routing is the way to go.  I did notice some interactions which re-routed people to another channel.

A better opportunity would have been to create (and market) TwelpForce page on facebook.  Although the Twitter feed is a tab on the current Best Buy facebook page, socially, it deserves more prominence.  Possibly it’s own facebook page.  A facebook page would solve some of Twitter’s limitations like the 140 character limitation.  Also, conversations can be threaded (and followed) better.

There are many text-based guides available to shoppers on the web. If a shopper is technically inclined, he or she could muddle through it. However, most shoppers probably need an online advisor that matches their needs with HDTV features.

Enter Samsung. Samsung HDTV Selector is a well-designed application. The seven-step advisor makes recommendations based on a shopper defining the following needs: wall space, couch distance from the television, room location in the house, room lighting, program preferences (sports, movies, internet, gaming), and budget. The output is a list of HDTVs.

Seems great, right? Not so fast. Although I chose a budget of under $1,000 the first three HDTVs on the recommended list where $4,499, $3,999, and $2,499 respectively. Where did the advisor go wrong? Do we have a problem with listening skills? I said under $1,000, umm, please? Without understanding the business logic, it appears budget is not weighted as much as some other needs. One improvement Samsung should consider is the ability to weight the importance of each need. If budget is important, you probably cannot afford a 1080p LCD 60-inch HDTV that is DLNA Compliant. If money is no object, ship it!

It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation to engage in the business of buying, selling, trading or exchanging new, used or second-hand motor vehicles or offering to buy, sell, trade or exchange, or participate in the negotiation thereof, or attempt to buy, sell, trade or exchange any motor vehicle or interest therein, or of any written instrument pertaining thereto, on the first day of the week, commonly called Sunday.

So an auto dealer can’t sell vehicles on Sunday. Must really hamper the shoppers … or maybe not. If you drive by most dealer lots on Sunday you will find many new vehicle auto shoppers browsing. Browsing for a new vehicle without the pressure of an overzealous salesperson. Although the law was not designed for the Sunday Shopper, shoppers are using the law as a low-pressure loop hole in their vehicle buying process. Like laws some sales processes are becoming obsolete. This is a new age where information is king, convenience is expected, and service is demanded. Over the past digital decade shoppers have honed shopping techniques to to make more informed purchases. I recently read an interesting stat from a WSJ article titled New Info Shoppers:

A whopping 92% of respondents said they had more confidence in information they seek out online than anything coming from a salesclerk or other source.

Combine this with the fact many people have a general disdain for the high-pressure sales environment and you can see why the Sundays may be appealing to many auto shoppers (at least in Michigan). The fact is many sales processes, not just automotive, are hang-overs from the pre-digital age. While some sales processes attempt to hang on other new sales environments are catering to the New Info Shopper.

Take high-consideration electronic purchased for example. In Detroit two electronic store options are ABC Warehouse and Best Buy. ABC Warehouse (for those who have never had the privilege) is a high-pressure sales process hangover from the 70s and ’80s. The sales people in line wait for their “up” and then swoop in to make the sale. They will then stalk shopper around the store until their prey either leaves or buys. Best Buy on the other hand is less pressure and more information based. Best Buy employees are trained to assist shoppers within a specialized area. Of course there is a variance in service and product expertise from store to store or salesperson to salesperson, but there is no shopper stalking. If you buy that’s fine. If not, come back soon.

In automotive it is rare to come across a dealership that is in tune with the New Info Shopper. I wrote about Collier Lincoln-Mercury earlier this week (see Don’t Train the Fish). Their approach was to let browsers browse, and when they needed sales assistance someone would help. Thinking of Collier, it makes me wonder what happen to Saturn. In the 90′s Saturn’s innovative approach to a low pressure sales environment and one price vehicle appeared to be setting an industry trend. Fifteen years later, Saturn has left it’s origin and has blended into the automotive landscape. Hardly original no longer. Maybe it’s days are numbered too.

The low pressure, expertise environment is desired by many shoppers. Think about the Apple Store and their Genuis Bar. The bar is designed to accentuate the New Info Shopper. Why not apply this to the automotive industry? Sure, there are many obstacles to implementation. Too many to list here. But the first mover will have an advantage, a differentiating brand promise, and a shopping environment conducive to the new age shopper.