Voice of the Customer
What do you do to reward your existing customers and confirm your commitment in a manner that captures the imagination of the friends and family that they will influence? The Internet, Email, Blogs, and the access for instant communication have changed the way that consumers buy. The word of the brand is less effective than word of mouth. What are you doing about it?
Who do you trust as a source of information when making a buying decision?
US Consumers trust friends and family more than other information sources
Consumers give family and friends an 8.6 rating one a scale of one to ten trust rating
Consumers give
advertising a 2.2 trust rating on the same scale
Source: Bridge Ratings and the University of Massachusetts
55.6% of adults turn to family and friends as a source of information
34.6% seek advice from co-workers
20.7% use Blogs as a source of reliable information
18.6% use social
networking web sites
Source: Media Usage Survey / Ketchum and the USC Annenberg
Strategic Public Relations
Customer Service is Quality
Some percentage of the product or service will eventually fail, that is inevitable. Companies are judged not only by the frequency and severity of the failure, but also by the reaction and resolution of the customer service response. A consumer may feel frustrated by a product failure, but will not tolerate failure of customer service to react and respond to the dilemma. A bad customer service experience is retold with the same venomous expression as a newspaper headline.
On the other hand, an exceptional customer service experience becomes the stuff of legend. A good experience is recounted with the same enthusiasm as winning the lottery. The quality of the customer service experience becomes synonymous with the quality of the brand. Even though the customer service experience is typically limited to a small portion of consumers who have experienced a failure, it can have a deep and meaningful impact. Internet, Blogs, and social networking make it very easy to share the experience with the masses.
Extending Quality Customer Service
The old strategy was to market to masses, spread the good word of the brand, and attempt to differentiate value with marketing. Customer Service was treated as an expense that should be limited by avoiding contact with the customer whenever possible. Avoidance became an art form with automation of answering services to route calls for prerecorded responses. That strategy was to avoid contact with angry customers, and focus marketing efforts on the unsuspecting potential new ones. However, as customers find it easier to communicate with one another, that strategy is quickly becoming obsolete.
The new strategy is extending quality customer service and marketing to satisfied consumers. This strategy refers to integrating marketing and customer communication in a manner that delights consumers and acknowledges the importance of the voice of the individual. This strategy turns satisfied consumers into the voice of the brand.
With every new product there is a period of early adopters. These early adopters of the new product, service, or technology are frequently revered by their peers as the trend setters and guru's. The early adopters study the specifications before making intelligent decisions to risk investment in new product or technology. When the early adopters rave about the quality, these individuals become influencers to a much bigger community. On the other hand, if the early adopters begin to rant negative reviews and remorse, then the perception of the product creates a negative influence on the bigger community. How does your organization identify and embrace the early adopters?
Embrace Your Customers
How does your organization delight existing customers unexpectedly? How does your organization communicate with interested consumers or clients with regularity and relevance? How do you create a community for your customers? Make your customers feel like they are an important part of your community experience, and give them reason to invite their friends and family to enjoy this same experience.
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Words of Wisdom
"The customer doesn't expect everything will go right all the time; the big
test is what you do when things go wrong."
- Sir Colin Marshall
"Be everywhere, do everything, and never fail to astonish the
customer."
- Macy's Motto
"If you are out there, you have fans. You have a champion.
Organize these champions. You probably know who your best customers
are. Make them a star on your site. Make those people your
superheroes."
- Jamison Stafford
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About the Author:
John Mehrmann is a freelance writer and President of
Executive Blueprints Inc., an organization devoted to improving
business practices and developing human capital.
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