Comments on: Conversing with Customers http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/2010/01/13/conversing-with-customers/ Information and answers for Woodworkers Mon, 25 Jul 2011 21:49:16 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1 By: Administrator http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/2010/01/13/conversing-with-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-715 Administrator Fri, 15 Jan 2010 18:10:27 +0000 http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/?p=39#comment-715 Shannon, another good insite, thanks for your comments. I tell my clients that no one expects perfection, they can tolerate occasional errors or mistakes. What simply WILL NOT tolerate is being lied to or ignored! What set's a great company above the competition is how effective they are at responding to customer concerns. The Social Media space gives you another (often almost instant) way to interact with them and respond to thier needs. Shannon, another good insite, thanks for your comments. I tell my clients that no one expects perfection, they can tolerate occasional errors or mistakes. What simply WILL NOT tolerate is being lied to or ignored!

What set’s a great company above the competition is how effective they are at responding to customer concerns. The Social Media space gives you another (often almost instant) way to interact with them and respond to thier needs.

]]> By: Shannon http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/2010/01/13/conversing-with-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-714 Shannon Fri, 15 Jan 2010 16:19:44 +0000 http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/?p=39#comment-714 This is always a hard conversation to have with a customer. Especially one who is not savvy on the social media space. In addition to considering that the trash talkers will be there whether you are or not, a company needs to consider that there might be some valid points brought up by the malcontent. Maybe you can learn something about your product/service by engaging with this person or persons. Quality products will get you satisfied customers, but a company that has proven itself to be able to listen and make changes captures loyalty. Look at Domino's Pizza's latest campaign. They listened for a long time about how bad their pizza is. It is tough to hear that what you do isn't good, but they listened and made some changes. It got me to try them again, and it is really good too. I respect any company that can admit it's shortcomings and does something about it. This is always a hard conversation to have with a customer. Especially one who is not savvy on the social media space. In addition to considering that the trash talkers will be there whether you are or not, a company needs to consider that there might be some valid points brought up by the malcontent. Maybe you can learn something about your product/service by engaging with this person or persons. Quality products will get you satisfied customers, but a company that has proven itself to be able to listen and make changes captures loyalty.

Look at Domino’s Pizza’s latest campaign. They listened for a long time about how bad their pizza is. It is tough to hear that what you do isn’t good, but they listened and made some changes. It got me to try them again, and it is really good too. I respect any company that can admit it’s shortcomings and does something about it.

]]> By: Administrator http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/2010/01/13/conversing-with-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-709 Administrator Wed, 13 Jan 2010 19:43:18 +0000 http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/?p=39#comment-709 Thanks Bruce! Excellent insight from the trenches. It is heartening to see your customers come to your defense without prompting from you. As you said, it indicates a strong brand loyalty. It also begins touching on my next post about using Social Media to keep the pulse of your brand image. Thank for contributing to the conversation. Thanks Bruce! Excellent insight from the trenches.

It is heartening to see your customers come to your defense without prompting from you. As you said, it indicates a strong brand loyalty. It also begins touching on my next post about using Social Media to keep the pulse of your brand image.

Thank for contributing to the conversation.

]]> By: Bruce http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/2010/01/13/conversing-with-customers/comment-page-1/#comment-708 Bruce Wed, 13 Jan 2010 18:56:51 +0000 http://consultingwoodworker.com/blog/?p=39#comment-708 In the case of people purposely trashing names, we are very familiar with this occurrence. As a company/brand, its important to facilitate honest and real conversations with your customers; sometimes just don't interfere. We've seen on numerous occasions where someone will purposely try to tarnish our name but instead of their intended negative promotion...they usually inspire a heated debate. Here is where you will see your brand champions stick up for you and promote your product/service. And if you have a remarkable product its usually a one-sided debate. Lesson, don't try to control the conversations, instead create an environment for free flowing honest conversations. If you're truly worried about what people will say about your products, then you have bigger problems on your hands and should go back and actually make a great product. In the case of people purposely trashing names, we are very familiar with this occurrence. As a company/brand, its important to facilitate honest and real conversations with your customers; sometimes just don’t interfere. We’ve seen on numerous occasions where someone will purposely try to tarnish our name but instead of their intended negative promotion…they usually inspire a heated debate. Here is where you will see your brand champions stick up for you and promote your product/service. And if you have a remarkable product its usually a one-sided debate. Lesson, don’t try to control the conversations, instead create an environment for free flowing honest conversations. If you’re truly worried about what people will say about your products, then you have bigger problems on your hands and should go back and actually make a great product.

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