In the world of social media, customers still come first

Many small businesses feel the pressure to join the social media party, encouraged to spit out tweets, posts, likes and other chatter meant to enhance their brand.

Maintaining an online presence is an important part of business strategy for many industries, but it’s crucial to include your company’s most valuable resource—customers—in the conversation. And a valuable dialogue with your customers only happens through a trusted relationship backed by good customer service. Without good customer service, your brand means next to nothing on the Web.

Here’s a situation I watched unfold on Facebook. Laura recently had her wedding ring cleaned at a local jeweler. After the jeweler gave it back to her warped with a loose gemstone, and then refused to refund any of her costs, she took to Facebook to vent her frustration. She received over 25 comments, some of which included “not the first time I’ve heard of their poor customer service.” Ouch. Laura’s audience consisted of over 250 friends, who now had the name of the local business that did nothing to fix her negative experience. This business lost an opportunity to please a customer at their store, who only afterward sought online affirmation for the poor service she received. Word-of-mouth marketing—positive and negative—is more viral than ever because of social media.

While customers discuss both good and bad experiences, people are more likely to openly discuss negative customer service situations than positive ones. A survey by the Temkin Group reported that 63 percent of people will tell friends about a very bad customer experience via email, phone or in-person. And 35 percent of customers use Twitter, Facebook or third-party rating sites, such as Yelp or TripAdvisor, to vent about bad experiences.

Keep in mind that even the greatest companies have disgruntled customers. There are those customers that will make you feel as though no matter how much back-bending you do, your efforts are never good enough. But more often, it’s someone like Laura: a hidden opportunity to create a loyal customer through great service. Genuinely and respectfully listening to an irritated customer, either in-person or online, shows that you are willing to make it right—and this resonates with everyone.

Ultimately, you can’t control what a customer does or says after you do business with them, but imagine what would have happened if, instead of a frustrated rant, Laura posted something like this:

Had my wedding band cleaned at XYZ Jewelers today. I got it back with some issues, so the manager apologized, refunded 50 percent of my cost, and fixed it perfectly that same day. Nice! I’m recommending XYZ Jewelers from now on.

Now, not only is Laura bringing her business back, but 250 people have the name of the local business that did everything to fix her negative experience. Besides benefitting from a positive review, the jeweler would likely recoup any lost revenue from the 50 percent refund through Laura’s repeat business, not to mention any new clients her glowing review might bring in.

The power of a positive impression extends far beyond the Web, so maybe it’s time to revisit the basics: make sure your existing customers are happy before you try to get new ones, ask how your business can improve, and take action when a client is displeased. A genuine interest in offering excellent service will resonate with customers, and get them talking, whether it’s in-person or online.

For a business, the goal of social media isn’t to create more chatter on the Web—it’s to hear what your customers are saying about you, and deciding what to do with it. Twitter, Facebook and other outlets can be great marketing tools that you can use toward your business’ benefit, but you need to know how to harness that power to enrich your customers’ experience. What’s the point of asking people to “like” or “follow” your company if you don’t give them a good reason to do so?

Christy Rezaii works as a freelance copywriter and small business web strategist, and regularly contributes to the Boise City Revue, a local events and culture publication. Besides running in the Boise foothills, she can be found at me@christyrezaii.com via email or @crezaii on Twitter.

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2 Responses to “In the world of social media, customers still come first”

1. Duane Says:
   January 27th, 2012 at 1:29 pm

   You’ve got this one exactly right. Thank you for reminding us again. The most sought after advertising is a positive recommendation from satisfied customers.

2. Kristen Says:
   January 31st, 2012 at 1:26 pm

   I loved this article Christy! Thank you for reminding me to take the time to post positive reviews! It is sad that negativity gets more attention. I have an expectation of great service and understand when circumstances show up that that may throw off the consistency but, there are a couple of businesses that have always treated me well and I love going to them. My next step is to let them know by posting a positive review!