Intech Solutions’ General Manager Robert Jochelson shares four examples of the perils of poor customer data – a problem that Intech is dedicated to solving for its customers.
When it comes to deliveries, what seem like minor glitches at the time can quickly snowball from ‘a light comedy of errors’ to ‘full-blown logistics nightmare’.
Here’s a light-hearted, but real, look at how things can go wrong with customer address data, and why data quality matters more than we think.
1. The case of the “I don’t live here anymore”
Picture this: Jane moves to a new apartment, updates her address with her favourite online store, and thinks all is well. Fast-forward six months, and her packages are still bring sent to her old address, where a new resident –Dave – has started enjoying her subscription to ‘aromatic tea of the month’ and ‘luxury dog treats’. This is no happy accident for Jane or her dog, nor for Dave, who isn’t sure whether he should be insulted or grateful.
Lesson: Address validation and regular data updates are vital. People’s lives change, and if their data doesn’t keep up, you’re sending more than just tea bags to the wrong people. Some systems automatically update addresses across multiple systems keeping Jane’s deliveries where they belong – on her doorstep, not Dave’s.
2. The mystery of the missing apartment number
Many people forget to include apartment numbers when entering their addresses online. A small detail, right? Tell that to the poor delivery driver roaming the halls of a 300-unit complex, desperately searching for ‘Jane’ (yes, her again). Meanwhile, Jane is left on the phone to customer service frustrated, wondering if she will ever receive her long-awaited packages.
Lesson: Advanced, real-time validation tools can prompt users for missing address details. If something looks incomplete, the system can alert the customer before they hit ‘confirm’ and avoid labyrinthine journeys for your delivery team.
3. The international incident
Imagine ordering a pair of fancy sneakers from the US, shipping it to Melbourne, and watching your order vanish into the abyss. Why? The system somehow did not recognise Australian postal codes and accidentally redirected your package to Melbourne, Florida – not Melbourne, Victoria. So, instead of receiving a cool pair of shoes, you’ve bought a mystery summer vacation for your sneakers.
Lesson: Address validation systems that account for international formats and postal codes save everyone involved from a logistical horror story. For companies with a global reach, this feature isn’t optional, it’s essential. Ensure your system is worldly enough to know its ‘Melbournes’. PS: A bit of trivia, there are actually five cities called Melbourne, located in Iowa, Arkansas and Florida (USA), England (UK) and Victoria (Australia).
4. The oops, they’re duplicates disaster
Consider a small business with a VIP program that offers free shipping, discounts, and the occasional surprise. A VIP customer named Michael Smith has signed up a few times over the years, using different variations: Mike, Michael, M. Smith. Suddenly, Michael’s receiving triple the perks, and the company is haemorrhaging money on their most loyal (and now most over-served) customer. Good for Michael; bad for the business.
Lesson: Deduplication algorithms are here to save the day. They can spot potential duplicates based on similarities across customer records. Avoiding duplicate entries prevents overspending and improves customer data quality, so your budget doesn’t start to look like it went a few rounds with Michael’s VIP rewards. This is an issue that Intech’s Single Entity View resolution process can solve.
Final thoughts: data quality is no joke
While these stories might get a laugh, the impact of poor data quality is serious. Customers expect (and deserve) to be known for who they actually are – and nothing says “We care” like getting their details right.
Investing in a robust data quality framework with address validation, deduplication, and real-time correction is more than a good business practice. It’s the difference between delighting customers and driving them away. Because as much as we love a good laugh, nobody likes their address to be the punchline.