Managing Customer Expectations in the Age of Real-Time Response

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Posted by : Top Twitter Tools News Posted on: 05/24/2010 Social Media Marketing Vendor: Radian6

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“For [a product] to surprise me, it must be satisfying expectations I didn’t know I had. No focus group is going to discover those. Only a great designer can.” – Paul Graham, Made in USA

The same thing goes for service. You must set expectations within the design and execution of every customer interaction. This begins by knowing and understanding the very nature of your community.

Let’s face it, in today’s very heavily automated customer service experience, people do not expect a personal touch, much less an actual human being to help resolve an issue. So customers are sitting up and taking notice of organizations listening to and engaging with their communities within the social web. Attention has become the new currency. Companies don’t have to reinvent the wheel to listen, learn and participate in social media; what they do have to do is get back to their roots of servicing the customer and managing expectations. Of course there is a gap between what the customer wants and what the company offers, but this is where golden opportunities await to exceed customer expectations. In the graphic below from Jason Morgan, you can see the expectation gap.

This graphic is not reflective of every organization, but does shed light on what customers are seeking in online interactions…actually, any company/customer interaction. In such a competitive environment, companies may only get one chance to prove themselves and encourage a repeat interaction. Here are some ways to begin surfacing what your organization can do to meet and exceed customer expectations:

Monitor customer feedback. Go beyond traditional channels and discover what is being said about your company, product/service and competitors. Know and understand the root cause of their wants, needs, frustrations and desires. The brainy tidbits you seek are not hidden only online, but also in the tribal knowledge and expertise of your front line workforce. Those employees should know what make the customer tick and what may set them off. Integrate these findings into your online customer service/engagement strategy.
Actively listen to customers. Let your community know you are paying attention. Give them a virtual helping hand and a smile. Ask them questions about their issues or encourage them to expound on feedback. What is driving them to share their experiences? Discover the triggers that drive your customers to interact with your company or competitors.
Take action on customer feedback. What can I do for you and other requests for feedback mean little if your organization does not earn the goodwill and trust of your community by acting on that feedback. Your organization cannot act upon every suggestion, but let the customers know you received their feedback and are taking it into consideration, the reasons for why the suggestion cannot be executed or when the suggestion will be implemented. These gold nuggets you mine for in the social web are vital to your organization’s future, so why not make the customer feel important and give credit where credit is due.

Expectations begin by creating and enforcing a baseline experience. Have a strategy in place for online interaction. Instill the same structure as your organization’s traditional business channels. By investing in this communication method and aligning your internal workforce, your company will be free to truly engage with the community. What are you doing to match your offerings to customer expectations?