Customer service used to be easier when it was all about bricks and mortar stores. You could actually meet the customer and give him your undivided attention. And in the event something went wrong, it was always possible to rectify the situation on a face to face basis.
But all this has changed in the modern world. Businesses and customers are located across great distances and often, the only thing bridging them is an online connection. So how then in this digital world, do you manage to service the customer and more importantly, salvage a broken relationship?
1. Reputation management is paramount: Everyone, and by this I club both individuals and corporations, has a reputation to create and maintain. If you’ve participated online in some manner, even if it’s to comment on a post, chances are you can ‘Google’ search and find yourself online. How you conduct yourself online is a direct extension of your business’ values and goals. Think of the Tiger Woods scandal, and on a larger corporate level, consider the implications for Toyota (its recent recall) and for BP.
2. Be prepared: No matter what you do to protect your reputation, online your chances of a dissatisfied customer spreading his story are greater, and can lead to a viral reaction that can instantly threaten to sully your reputation. Unless you are prepared to manage a crisis, large or small, you may need to fork out money and time to regain customers’ trust and their business. Accordingly to an article on Forbes.com, BP is estimated to have spent millions on their online clean up operations, including branded BP YouTube channel. Unless you have that kind of money to spend, it’s all the more important to have a preventive plan in place.
3. Listen, before you act: The digital medium is a great place for listeners. You can actually hear what the customer is saying in real time. And it’s important to leverage this to enhance your own service. Take GAP for instance – their re-branding fiasco could have grown out of proportion, had they not listened to what their customers were saying, and then acted on it (in this instance, invite customers to design a new logo).
4. Provide a forum for your customers: This in part ties up with the earlier point – listen to your customers’ suggestion and advice. It also means you need to provide them with a controlled environment in which they can rant and rave. If you do not, chances are they’ll end up doing it anyway, on sites like twitter and facebook (they probably will use social media sites to conduct attacks, but at least you have a chance to respond civilly on a dedicated forum).
5. Know when to back down, and when not to: In some instances, you might feel you need to remain steadfast to your company’s policies and values. But in other situations, it’s easier to say ‘sorry’ and bow down to the customer. A much used example has been Dave Carroll’s guitar (United Airlines damaged it in transit and refuse to compensate him. The YouTube video probably did more damage than the actual incident was worth).
6. Rewrite your website for the customer: If you do not have a FAQ page, it’s time to create one. Similarly, a toll free number or dedicated customer service line or email address will help. As will automating your sales process to speed things up, making it easier for a customer to make a purchase and enticing him to continue exploring further buying options with you.
7. Personalize your service: This is probably one of the most important steps you can take to maintain a good relationship with the client. As a company who is probably facing stiff online competition, a personal touch can go a long way in setting you apart from your competitors. Keep in touch with your customers, ask for their feedback, address them by name and respond to their comments or queries. And as with any good customer service, always get back to them, even if you don’t enjoy listening to what they have to say.
Good customer service doesn’t have to cost much, but it can prove invaluable in cementing existing relationships and building newer ones.
