The Best Marketing Strategy you already have – Customer Care!
What are we willing to spend to get customer interaction on social media? What about great feedback? Even more so, what about a customer referral to not one, not two but a group of friends?
Now consider that these questions are not only a Marketing department conversation. They hit at the heart of what progressive companies should be speaking about at their Customer service and Sales department meetings as well.
We are all aware of the power of good marketing. Heck, we’re all consumers and can relate to how a good marketing effort drives our desires. It brings us, as customers, to the company. The thing is, it just brings us there, it doesn’t engage us once we’re there and it surely doesn’t keep us shopping or referring others.
For all that brands, and their marketing departments, in particular, talk about customer relationships, the relationship that counts the most for consumers themselves is still that great interaction that can only exist between them and a real person that’s friendly and knowledgeable. Chances are that person is a customer service representative. We need to make a connection with our customers, to interact with them on their level. We must listen to what customers are saying and be in tune with what they are not saying. Whether speaking to a customer service rep on the phone or chatting via web or on social media, a great interaction with a customer or prospect is the opportunity companies should be embracing.
Human interactions — especially in the age of online shopping and self-service are what your customers will remember and what they’ll talk about, perhaps very publicly. So, from a marketing standpoint, the quality of those interactions is enormously significant. I’m always reminded that it takes 10 positive interactions to erase 1 negative experience. How scary are those numbers to companies solely focused on KPI’s and cost reductions?
Marketing departments spend significant resources to engage perspective consumers and re-enforce positive messages to existing clients. It is critical that companies invest in customer service agents, or whatever buzz word they want to label them as, and recognize that these are the people who will ultimately shape the experience and image your company has with its clients.
This article was written by Perry Silber, COO of GuateCall. GuateCall is a Near-shore contact center provider of multi-channel bilingual services located In Guatemala, Central America. If you would like to learn more about GuateCall, please reach out to me at 713-474-2222 or by e-mail perry@guatecall.com.
Uncategorized