PR pros, want more press? Talk to your customer service team

We all know the story because we’ve all been there. Your agency gets hired by a new client. There’s much celebrating, and tons of potential energy. You have the first meeting where you go over expectations, both theirs of you, and yours of them. They want press, you want ammo for stories to tell. It’s a fair give and take.

Then you go back to your office and start working. You line up lists of reporters to call, and ideas of stories to tell. Then you call the client and ask that one simple question.

“Can you give us some clients who we can use as case studies, or maybe some happy customers, or even just examples of awesome things your company has done recently?”

There’s silence on the line, and you wait. They promise to call you back after “talking to customer service,” and hang up. And even though each subsequent call starts with “Have you gotten us those clients or amazing experiences yet?” you never actually get the answer.

Six months later, you’re in their office again, but this time you’re explaining why they shouldn’t kill your contract and fire you for lack of performance.

Sound familiar? Perhaps it’s time someone stood up and said: