With the advent of the web and the acceleration of user-generated content onto our computer screens, you never know who’s training a camera on you, especially when you’re at work going about your business. Social media and the loss of “control” companies have on how their message or public reputation is now displayed means a more robust approach to customer-centric marketing is needed to maintain trust, let your consumers know your are listening, that you care and that you are willing to put yourself out to help them.
With me so far?
Your hot-headed macho silliness last week has done you no favours and damaged the reputation of your colleagues and company – the day after Boris Johnson announced record prices hikes for the pleasure of your potty mouth next year.
Now, you should have acted a bit more like Derek. I call him Derek because I don’t know his real name. It’s a fitting moniker.
Derek has been selling news papers and knick knacks at Barnes Station in SW London for at least 10 years. He started with a few papers on a stand and a box of Mars Bars on an upside down milk crate. Over the winters (and he’s there come rain, snow, sleet or shine without fail) he’s added to his product portfolio according to his customers needs and his desire to expand his “empire”.
Now his “shop” is a good few metres long, selling all kinds of sustenance (I counted TEN flavours of granola bar this morning) and every time the train pulls up I watch him grabbing broadsheets and thrusting them into the hands of late passengers just as the doors close mouthing, “pay me tomorrow”, as the carriages trudge down the tracks towards Waterloo.
That’s customer service Ian. That’s how to get your name (albeit fictitious) and photo onto a blog with NICE things said about you. We’re in a recession. People are valuing value more than ever before and so much value comes in the way we treat those paying for our products or services.
Now you’re young. We all make mistakes – saying on your Facebook page that your religion is “Jedi” is a mistake as the force is not with you yet – and I hope you learn from this. You might be in a high pressure role, dealing with the public, underground with high noise levels etc etc. But just put yourself in that old man’s shoes.
Thinking about how are customers feel, understanding their perspective and ignoring our own for a few moments, can help us react in more helpful ways now that we’re held to account and public scrutiny like never before.
Gawd bless the camera phone!
