Are You In Danger of Customer Care Overkill?

As a customer service manager, new technologies, like Twitter, can imply improved service; but it's not always so easy to meet rising expectations. As a graduate student in Northwestern's Medill IMC program, I have been examining articles on customer service and technology and have found two worth exploring; one by entrepreneur and ex-Mashable, Ben Parr, and the other by HootSuite blogger, Sarah Chambers.

Ben Parr’s Mashable article, “How To: Use Twitter for Customer Service,” makes the claim that the key to great customer service is the speed and quality of your response. Twitter is without a doubt the best way to share and discover what is happening right now. At least that is the claim found on Twitter’s support page, verbatim. Twitter’s proven omniscience and omnipresence is exactly why companies have added it to their customer service repertoire (if you haven’t, you probably should...five minutes ago). 

Aside from the unfavorable aspects of using Twitter to address customer issues—the 140 character limit, heaven forbid you need a longer phrased solution to your customer’s problem—the major plus for customers is instant gratification. Several companies have made headlines (ex., Zappos, Southwest, Starbucks, etc.) with their timely and thoughtful customer care. Gratifying indeed. But where should you draw the line?

I recently had an unexpected run-in with KLM’s customer service; what started as a slightly palpitation-inducing experience—both from the fear of being caught complaining and then satisfaction at being unexpectedly rewarded—quickly turned into an eye-rolling session between me and my computer screen. Having recently watched KLM's (KLM Surprise) success in using social media as a tool to enhance the customer experience, I was a little perplexed at their seeming inability to get the basics right.  

After reading an article about the benefits of being bored, I was reminded of my 28-hr flight to and from Europe with a malfunctioning TV screen.  I had so looked forward to watching the latest movies I had missed on the big screen; and so I tweeted about it. KLM responded. Quite unexpectedly. They offered me miles, but I’m not a rewards member. And so proceeded the sending of information, the tweeting, the emailing, and the filing of official complaints. All I did was add a hashtag! 

Source: mediabistro.com

Sarah Chambers explains in "HootSuite’s 3 Secrets to Rocking Customer Service via Twitter," that directing users to submit a ticket or call a hotline, as KLM had done so with me, only defers the problem. It makes the user take "another step to contact you, instead of providing an immediate solution." In dragging out the process, Twitter's "instant gratification" capability becomes void. 

Okay, so forget immediate solutions to customer problems for a moment. One could argue (as I am) that what makes Twitter a great platform for customer service is that it enables authenticity. A company can be quick, transparent, and above all, real. KLM’s approach to my complaint, however, was formulaic at best, and all too focused on filing information. Based on both articles, by Parr and by Chambers, it is vital to remember that Twitter is a medium for conversation. Excellent customer service is not about “shutting-up” the customer or about bribing them, it’s about meeting their needs.

From my analysis of these two articles and my work at Northwestern, here are three action items I recommend you implement immediately:

• Focus on Customer Needs.
• Know the Purpose of Social Media Platforms.
• Have a Conversation.

Monitoring what people have to say is only a fraction of what needs to be done to deliver quality customer care. No customer service manager in their right mind would boast about how many people they heard complain in a day or about owning a Twitter account. Using social media correctly and for its intended purpose is what differentiates good customer service from great customer service. Twitter is meant to be quick and concise. 140-character responses should lead to 140-character actions. Use social media the right way to avoid customer care overkill.

Liz Arteaga is a M.S. candidate in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University. Her previous work experience has been focused on event planning, most notably with the Boy Scouts of America and Adobe. She is currently a graphic designer for a non-profit organization based in Utah. Follow @LizNArteaga

Mobile - Leveraging the New Era of Brand Engagement

As a brand manager or digital strategist, it is critical that you understand how to leverage new technologies, like mobile, to engage your customers in a manner that adds value to their relationship with your brand. IBM reports that over 91% of consumers keep their smartphones within an arm’s reach 100% of the time. These digital lifelines are changing the way that companies interact with consumers; yet only 25% of companies have a mobile customer service strategy in place. As a graduate student at Northwestern University’s Medill IMC program, I have been studying examples of companies that have been excelling at connecting with consumers on the go around the world. Based off of insights from two articles on mobile marketing and digital content experiences, it is clear that the keys to a successful mobile strategy are customer service and brilliant content.

Credit: http://www.pivotguild.com

Customer Service

There is a lot that companies can learn from taking the time to reflect upon the success stories from online, namely those that have dedicated themselves to customer service. The same applies to mobile. HBR points out that Zappos developed an online shoe empire by empowering customer service reps to do what they saw fit and by solving customers’ problems. Your company or client’s mobile strategy needs to become the Zappos of mobile – part of an integrated approach to delivering on your brand’s promise to consumers across channels. In a recent white paper, BSSDigital recommends you use qualitative and quantitative research to better understand your consumers’ joys and pain points so that you can maximize the powerful opportunities mobile technology affords. It's time to expand your vision from using mobile as a way to convert a sale and see it as the powerful customer aid that it is.  

Content Marketing

The content of your mobile strategy is a way to foster relationships with consumers. People thrive off of stories and experiences and when your brand is positioned to be there at the very time of need with the right information, you are poised to be an aide that the consumer is ever grateful for. Remember, your content either needs to entertain consumers or help them get something done. At the intersection of content and utility is an understanding of how to make consumers’ lives easier. The luxury of having the real estate for advertising and content that co-exists on a computer is not present on mobile. BSS Digital points out that you do not need to develop an app, certainly that is quite a lofty investment, but a better approach is to ensure that your content is available and easily accessible to consumers on a 3.5-inch screen. So please, ditch your mobile banner ad budget and invest the resources into crafting content that the consumer will actually benefit from.

Where do you begin? From my analysis of the recommendations from HBR and BSS Digital together with my studies in the Northwestern IMC program, here are three immediate actions that you can take to help get you on the right track as you look to develop a mobile strategy for the future:

1. Optimize your website for mobile
This is non-negotiable. Ensure that your website has a responsive design or that the consumer is automatically directed to a mobile site. You cannot help customers do anything if, when they are looking for content on your site remotely, they are forced to squish, scroll or wait for something to load and get frustrated. Don’t force consumers to go to a competitor’s website for information - because 40% of them will.

2. Use location-based data to your advantage:

IBM reports that 75% of mobile shoppers take action after receiving a location-based message. But, the key to doing this successfully is to ensure that the message you are sending is going to help the consumer, if not you are just going to be an overbearing creep instantly ruining the relationship. Geo-targeting needs to be seamlessly integrated into your overall commitment to customer service and not be another tactic to get a sale.

3. Shift your mindset and start solving problems:

Take off your marketer hat and actually think if you, as a consumer, would appreciate what you are proposing. Johnson's bedtime app is a great example of a company solving problems instead of selling products. The app helps new mothers track their baby’s sleep schedule, connect with other sleep-deprived parents, get help from experts, and have a lullaby on hand – all working to build interactions, engagement and loyalty for years to come. This is a prime example of how to leverage superior content and a customer service strategy to foster a relationship

Shifting your focus to view mobile marketing as the powerful content delivery and customer service tool that it is will ensure that your company or client is well on its way to crafting a mobile strategy that helps grow your business for years to come. 

Martine de Gannes is currently pursuing her Masters in Integrated Marketing Communications at Northwestern University's @MedillSchool. She is highly interested in mobile and shopper marketing and when not in the classroom, you can find her at the nearest golf course. Follow her at @martsdeg.

Responding to Tweet Complaints Helps Brands Deliver More Than a Product

An article in the EMarketer posed the question, “when consumers tweet complaints, should brands respond?” The answer is “YES!” The answer stems from two examples: brides and pizza. You may be asking yourself, “What do they have to do with each other?” Simply, they are both very time sensitive deliveries. One down the aisle and the other to your front door, well actually I am sure there are weddings that include pizza but that is a different blog post entirely….OK, back to brides, pizza and marketing.

First, let’s talk about brides, actually one bride in particular who utilized the power of social media to make sure that her wedding weekend was not ruined. One of my friends from my graduate school program recently got married. Upon engagement (prior to beginning graduate school) she and her husband-to-be selected a date in May for the big day. Little did she know this date was the weekend before finals. Yuck…I know! Because of this, timing was crucial and she had to use every possible moment to study. With that said, the beautiful bride-to-be had to fly out first thing in the morning to kick off the wedding festivities. Chicago to New York in May…should be a simple trip. She arrived at the airport, wedding dress in hand, and found out her Delta flight had been cancelled without justification and she was rebooked on a flight that evening. This would not do, as she had wedding festivities to attend that afternoon. While most people would have a panic attack and declare it the end of the world, this marketing savvy bride leveraged the power of social media. She notified her friends and within minutes the “Let the Bride Fly” campaign targeting Delta went live via Twitter. What could have been a reputation nightmare for Delta, became a valuable example of what brands should do when customers complain. AJ @DeltaAssist was listening via Twitter and saved the day by booking the bride on the next flight out to ensure that she was delivered on time for her weekend of celebration.

Now on to pizza! Recently I was at a Social Media Summit. The speaker kicking off the day was Ramon DeLeon, from Domino’s pizza. I saw this in the meeting agenda and thought to myself, “what can I learn about social media from a Domino’s Pizza employee?” Shame on me because Ramon quickly wowed me not only with his larger than life presence but with the story of how he started as a part time Domino’s pizza delivery boy and today owns six Domino’s locations. He has evolved to become a leader in social and guerilla marketing. With over 11,500 Twitter followers, @Ramon_DeLeon proves when a brand listens AND responds to a customer complaint it pays off! A great example is when a customer ordered pizza from her neighborhood Domino’s for a Bears football party. After having to experience a long wait she took to the power of Twitter and complained. Ramon saw this and not only responded but sent her tickets to the next Bears game to apologize. While most would think this went above and beyond the call of duty, Ramon took it to the next step. The following year, he followed up with the Bears fan via Twitter and offered to cater a football viewing party to kick off the season. This is why he is called Ramon Wow!

Both of these examples reinforce why I adamantly believe that brands must respond to customer complaints. Twitter is no longer a mechanism merely for friends to chat, it has become a new and powerful channel of customer service. In my eyes this can benefit the brand more than the consumer as it allows marketers a powerful and trackable way to connect with consumers. It is a deposit in the “Goodwill Bank” that can be tracked by tweets, retweet and comments. These interactions can not only increase customer loyalty but if done well can result in free PR. A final example is when a local blogger complained about Domino’s service. Ramon saw this and taped a video apology that has been viewed over 125,000 times. That is more valuable than any ad.

Next time a customer voices a complaint via social media think about brides, pizza and how you can “wow” then with a simple response.

Amanda Salhoot

M.S. Candidate 2011 | Integrated Marketing Communications

Twitter: @asalhoot