I just bumped into a splendid example of how at least one smart company in the senior healthcare space is monitoring the world of blogs and closing the loop with customer commentary.
My friend and colleague Jeff Miller runs the Senior Safety Blog which focuses on issues of dealing with health and safety for, you guessed it, senior “citizens.” While this could be just a litany of products for sale or a depressing series of updates on people who are slowly becoming more infirm and dying, in fact it’s interesting and worth reading for both seniors and those who are involved in senior care.

In a recent posting with the rather wordy title A walking cane helped Edie with her walking problem, wheelchairs helped…how about a Hugo?, one of the contributors on Jeff’s Weblog, Ellen Sacks, wrote:
“I don’t know about you, but I watch those shopping channels. I guess I don’t really watch, I flip the remote to a shopping channel during commercials. So, I’m flipping and I see the perfect walking companion for Edie. The Hugo. The Hugo is a small cart with four wheels, a padded seat with a basket underneath to carry your essentials. It also has hand brakes that lock so it’s steady when you sit down…”
This was posted back on August 24th, and about three weeks later here’s the comment that appeared on the weblog:
“Ellen, I am very happy that our product HUGO has provided a means for Edie to continue to be mobile in a manner that makes her PROUD. It is exactly what we intended when we brought this product to market. I know as the manufacturer of the HUGO Rolling Walker, it isn’t my place to jump in on this blog but I wanted you to know that your comments made my day. My best wishes for your mother-in-law’s continued activity and for your piece of mind. I also hope Edie gets to see the Eagles in the Super Bowl again this year!”
The commenter? Chris Sanders, Access Product Marketing for the company that manufacturers the Hugo device. Here’s the information page for this specific product: Hugo & Mobility Care.
Not only is this a splendid example of reaching out to your marketplace and encouraging customers while also gaining some additional bit of visibility, but the comment itself is superb. It’s informative, credible, conveys the expertise of the author, and is fun and engaging too. Most importantly, it clearly shows that the commentator actually read the original posting.
Chris, nice job! Were it that all companies had people as forward thinking and plugged in as you. We’d see far more happy customers and far fewer Dell complaints in the marketplace.