The No Complaining Rule
February 1, 2012Connect with your customers – Research provides clues
February 11, 2012
Below is a twitter exchange that I had in the last couple of days with the folks across at Frog Solutions.
I really like their way of describing customer service on social media or social customer care as ‘ a new type of customer service that can actually lead to change within a business’.
What that conjured up for me was the expression about the ‘tail wagging the dog’. In most cases when used it is meant to mean ‘a situation where a small part is controlling the whole of something’. When this happens it’s, generally, not helpful and can often be damaging.
However, looked at in a good way, could the ‘tail’ (ie. social customer care as a way of listening, learning, reacting, understanding, responding and addressing customers issues on social media) be an effective way to learn about our customers and instigate change? Change that could help with developing more and better customer focus in the broader and larger organisation, the ‘dog’?
In most cases, not all of our customers will be on social media so social customer care shouldn’t dominate attention like it does in some quarters. Perhaps, that’s because it’s a ‘shiny new object’.
However, it is very probable that you do have some customers somewhere on social media. Given that, it is worthy of your attention as it is very public, will make you a more social business, can lead to real insights, learning, new skills and business behavioural and culture change.
If you’re not doing it then maybe it’s time to start.
17 Comments
Hello Adrian
The people at Frog Solutions show the right spirit. There is a particular expression that stands out for me: we just love to be able to respond to people’s problems……
If social is about anything then it is about that. People love hanging out in pubs with other people like them. People love hanging out in cages with other peoPle. PeoPle love going rambling with other people and so forth.
People find people who talk business in social settings as bores! On social networks most businesses are just that bores. Or that person that shows up, thinks himself important, no-one wants him there and yet no-one tells him.
Maz
Hi Maz,
Thanks for your thoughts. I agree. The thing that the exchange meant to me was that it was an exchange, a conversation that generated an idea worth sharing. To me, that’s part of the essence of social media.
Adrian
Adrian,
I like the frog mindset best. Only wish trad CS would wave its own flag a little more. Seems 30 years of mission impossible has traumatised everyone into silence. How do you think they might be persuaded to voice it like their social cousins?
Martin
Hi Martin,
Given that it is social channels that are getting a lot of attention at the moment there is nothing to stop them stepping up and adding their voice. Rather than just being reactive and inbound focused perhaps they need to learn to become more social and start talking in social channels but also start talking, being more proactive and reaching out and doing more outbound customer service stuff.
Is that a tough ask?
Adrian
Hi Adrian, I’m with Martin, it is a real shame that “twitter” is putting “letter” in the shade. I can’t but help think that customer service has more to do with attitude than channel.
James
Agreed James. But times have changed and ‘letter’ needs to change with them. Any ideas on how to get trad customer service to take a seat at the discussion table and make it’s own case for what works and what doesn’t?
Adrian
Hello,
Thank you for the great well written blog post.
Where is your RSS Feed?
I would love to subscribe to it so I don’t miss any updates.
Excellent Blog by the way.
Well done
Thanks for your comments and dropping by.
As for my RSS feed, look for the orange symbol in the right column and click on that or go here:
https://www.adrianswinscoe.com/blog/feed/
All the best,
Adrian