Social Media has made Customer Service the New Marketing
By Barry Moltz
For a long time, it’s been the same story. A company’s commitment to outstanding customer service began and ended in their mission statement. How many times have you read that the company’s goal was to make the customer #1 in everything they did? Unfortunately, these words on a page almost never translated into tactics for the staff to use on a daily basis. A comprehensive system of incorporating feedback from their customers into improving their service almost never is established. Instead, companies continue to structure their companies where customers are not #1, but a necessary evil. They continue to pay sales reps bonuses to chase new customers in the door and only pay minimum wages to customer service reps to keep them delighted. This formula results in a revolving door of customers, overall poor service, and most importantly, unsustainble companies.
But, things are changing in this 24/7 connected world for all businesses. This year, deliver outstanding customer service …become extinct.
The world has become your competition.
With no geographic boundaries, almost every product or service has become a commodity. Your only sustainable competitive advantage is customer loyalty through great service. If a customer can get what you sell anywhere, why should they put up with bad service?
With self service web sites and kiosks, companies can now personalize the customer experience that we want.
Every company can now call you by name, remember what you purchased last time and recommend what you like. This expectation does not get lower anywhere we surf on the internet, each time we call your company or walk into your bricks and mortar store location. Get used to it!
Your customers are mad and aren’t going to take it anymore. Your company’s biggest fear was that a disgruntled customer would tell 7 people. A dissatisfied customer can now tell 7 million people!
Communicating via social media tools like Twitter, Facebook and YouTube have turned the business world of upside down. Companies can no longer control the conversation about their brands through advertising. But, the good news is that social media savvy businesses can also help build a raving fan base and defuse ranting customers.
Are you listening to what your customers are broadcasting about you through social media? Are you responding?
