With the evolution of the internet many things have changed in business. Not only do businesses now have the ability to speak to tens of thousands of potential customers via Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc, but now customers have the ability to speak to you. The only potential downside to this is that now everyone is a critic with a voice that's potentially heard by millions. With sites like Ripoff Report, Google Places, Yelp, and many other rating sites it's impossible to hide your missteps. That's exactly why a proper customer service plan, crisis management plan and, probably more importantly, an honest and friendly company culture come into play.
With tools like Twitter you can now become a fly on the wall and actively listen to everything being said about your company. This gives proactive businesses the ability to address customer service issues or concerns directly and most importantly swiftly. In an era of "Our service technician will be there next Tuesday between 12 and 5" most people simply want their issues resolved quickly and directly - they want to know that they matter to you.
Your take away should simply be to engage your audience, customers, and potential customers (wherever they might be) - listen to what they have to say - and actively communicate with them to resolve their issues in a timely manner. Doing this effectively can not only reduce your customer service operational costs but also improve or protect your reputation and help you grow your business.
Yours in service,
Brett Relander
Tactical Marketing Labs
http://TacticalMarketingLabs.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Brett_Relander
