So you have a product or service that you are selling… and you see an opportunity for cross selling or up selling or migrating you customer with some value adds. Are your bells and whistles adding value to your customer or are they pissing them off? Let’s take an example like… lemme think, oh, how about your home computer or laptop.

Microsoft saw an opportunity to promote it’s software (or an opportunity to test, research and iron out its software) – so your new computer comes complete with loads of software trials. Great! Actually, it’s not… it’s pissing off customers. Why? Glad you asked.

When your computer is loaded with crap software, think about how long it takes to power up? What about the software that interferes with the other programs, or perhaps the length of time now required to open a program. Oh, and if you are running office 2003 but choose to accept the outlook 2007 trial for 60 days – there could be issues that result in re-doing your powerpoint not once, not twice, but three times over.

What did Best Buy do? They have a lovely little offer of $30 to clear your computer of all unwanted software at the time of purchase… that’s right… now you have to pay a fee to rid yourself of the crap – in the boardroom, I am sure they referred to the crap as valued adds… regardless. Now we have value adds upsetting customers and creating new income streams for others. Kudos to Best Buy!