I'm Already a Customer

It irks me when companies that already have my business send direct-mail solicitations to my home, asking for my business. The list of culprits includes Cingular (my cell phone service provider), Capital One (my credit card), Charter Communications (my local cable company) and others.

First, it is wasteful. These companies are wasting money on materials and postage by sending offers to me (and others like me who are already customers).

It is sloppy, imprecise. Is it really that hard to cross reference your marketing list with your list of customers? The fact that I AM a customer and they don't KNOW that I'm a customer sends a message to me that their company is not a well-managed, high-quality organization. In marketing terminology, it is brand damage.