Customer service has always been important to business, however today it has become the best marketing tool you have. People are now sharing information, exchanging ideas and voicing their opinions at a rate like never before. Social media and online communities provide platforms for consumer and peer reviews on brands and businesses which can procure impactful results. Positive customer experiences become amplified and produce word-of-mouth referrals. On the other hand, negative customer experiences also become amplified and can damage reputations of even the top brands and companies.

I recently wrote how I think companies that gain the trust of their customers will be the ones to lead their respective industries going forward. Trust in business is built on many levels however at its foundation are credibility, accountability and responsiveness. These traits or lack thereof are often most measured in the area of customer service.

Customer Service Is Where It Starts

Good customer service is where it starts. Listen to your customers, offer solutions, be timely with responses and provide value. It’s basic stuff. If your customers have positive experiences with your brand or company they will share them. Further, websites and social media communities now allow companies to extend their customer service efforts and engage customers in unique ways. Providing expertise, answering questions and delivering relevant information are all part of the customer service equation.

Of course, your brand or business is being talked about in far more places than your own online environments and unfortunately not always in a positive light. There are solutions here as well which enable you to listen to and engage your customers. When they have negative experiences, you want to hear them, formulate a response and take appropriate action. You’ll be surprised at how just making the effort can convert critics into advocates.

The concept of customer service is nothing new. However the techniques and the reach potential have seen exponential change.

]]> http://www.thecontentstudio.com/2009/12/how-customer-service-has-become-your-best-marketing-tool/feed/ 0 http://www.thecontentstudio.com/2009/07/online-client-relationships-develop-from-credibility/ http://www.thecontentstudio.com/2009/07/online-client-relationships-develop-from-credibility/#comments Thu, 16 Jul 2009 18:27:20 +0000 Jim Hughes http://www.thecontentstudio.com/?p=221 Developing client relationships online is much like doing so in person. Of course there are a few obvious differences, yet the similarities are many. For the purpose of this post, I will focus on one of the common threads – credibility.

Regardless if you are communicating in person, online or through other mediums, building credibility with clients takes time and effort. When communicating with a potential client in person, the objective should be to discover and understand that client’s specific needs. Once understood, your goal is to provide information or advice on solutions that best meet those needs. Depending on the business, product and service this process can take several days, weeks or even months. It’s a consultative approach which I believe works best.

The online approach should be the same. I recently wrote that sharing expertise, exchanging ideas, providing solutions and answering questions allows for building lasting client relationships. Brands and companies that provide useful, transparent information become relevant and credible. Again this takes time and some commitment.

Providing compelling content to your prospects via your website, blog, eNewsletters and other communications increases the ability to influence the perception of your company, and ultimately the behavior of your target customers.

How are you developing creditility with your clients online?

Event moderator Joe Pulizzi from Junta42, HubSpot‘s Mike Volpe and Prime Visibility‘s Andrew Hazen each provided valuable insight into their areas of expertise. Other speakers reviewed interesting case studies and information; however Joe, Mike and Andrew hit the relevant topics mentioned in the lead sentence.

I found it was Tippingpoint Lab’s Andrew Davis who stole the show with an impressive overview on the topic of social media. He delivered powerful content while using an exciting new presentation format called Prezi.

As Davis energetically led us through his views on social media and its synergy with custom content, an interesting observation came to mind. Andrew was a live, walking and talking demonstration of the actual subject itself. He provided relevant and compelling content. His knowledge and passion was convincing. His delivery was effective, transparent and it matched his chosen communication platform. He ultimately left many in the audience wanting to ask more. My compliments Andrew!

Does your company effectively communicate with its target audience and have them inquiring for more information?