In his book Digital
Leader, Erik Qualman, a leading expert in social media, explains the
importance of flexibility in business cycles. This is important for auto dealers to keep in
mind when they create their social media plans.
Toyota has produced a video which shows how social media
guides a potential customer’s decisions and also influences the dealer’s
reputation. Take a look:
Although proactive planning is important, life changes
constantly and dealers must be prepared to respond and adapt in a prompt and
effective manner (Qualman, 2012). Qualman explains, “Companies who are late
adopters of digital technologies will fail compared to the ones that have been
on the forefront of the digital revolution, evolving” (p. 194). Dealers should
consider this carefully, because as noted by Paul Rushing, founder of
DealerBytes.com: “The automobile
industry typically runs “behind the times” in its initiatives” (2013, para 1).
When dealers map out
their digital technology plans, they should ensure that the map they draw
allows plenty of flexibility. If the map is inflexible, it won’t allow the
business to adapt effectively to the quickly changing digital world.
“Mapping, planning, and having a vision are important, but
it’s being flexible when the unexpected occurs that is the key to digital
success” (Qualman, p. 194). The best digital planning has business cycles
written for 6 months-2 years rather than longer. Given the uncertain nature and
quickly changing digital environment, the shorter plan allows dealers to act
immediately (Qualman, 2012).
To develop a good digital plan, Qualman suggests four steps
(2012):
1. Know your
goals-what are you trying to accomplish?
2. Develop your strategy- how will you reach
your goals?
3. Choose the
right actions-what actions are needed to execute the strategy?
4. Have “rapid
contingency” plans in place for when things don’t go as expected
For auto dealers, social media allows for reputation
management, provides an outlet for customer feedback, and creates a platform to
engage customers. Customer feedback can create
situations that require a quick change of direction and therefore the rapid contingency
plans are important because they provide flexibility in the overall social media
plan.
How would you go about formulating a rapid contingency plan? What are some of the considerations that you would take into account?
How would you go about formulating a rapid contingency plan? What are some of the considerations that you would take into account?
References
Qualman, E. (2012). Digital Leader. USA: The McGraw Hill Companies.
Rushing. P. (2013). Automotive Social Networking-Time to Catch Up [blog post]. Retrieved from http://www.dealerbytes.com/automotive-social-networking/automotive-social-networking-time-to-catch-up/.
Toyota. (2012, December 27). Toyota Social Media Knowledge Center
Illustration of a Car Buyer’s Journey [Video file]. Retrieved from
http://youtu.be/ykt1ZBQE0G0
The videos creative approach to demonstrating the role social media plays in car buying was attention-grabbing. Two thumbs up on the adding it to your blog! It further supports the position that social media is a hefty responsibility for businesses and in need of its own management department.
ReplyDeleteQualman’s position on flexibility relates heavily to Steyn’s position on PR, being able to adapt an organization to its environment is paramount to its success (Steyn, 2007). I was not aware of dealerships struggles with technology/social media until Scott (2011) introduced them to us in chapter one of The New Rules of Marketing & PR. It is interesting to see you take this topic to another level. Curious, why it is that car dealerships continue to run behind in times in its initiatives, do you think?
As a leasee I lease a new vehicle roughly every 36-39 months. Doing this for the past 8 years, I have become well versed in research elements social media presents for car buying. As you mentioned, I seek reviews, customer feedback, etc. At times I wonder how much of the customer feedback truly arrives through the voice of a ‘customer.’ ;) If Vokswagen deletes unfavorable comments, my speculations may not be very implausible. Check it out: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/10/volkswagens-social-media-facebook-_n_1196745.html
Krystal
Resources
Steyn, B. (2007). Contribution of Public Relations to Organizational Strategy Formulation. In E.L. Toth, The Future of Excellence in Public Relations and Communication Management: Challenges for the Next Generation (Chapter 8, pp. 158-166). Mahwah, NJ: Lawrence Erlbaum.
Krystal,
DeleteThank you for pointing out the VW social media fail. This is a perfect depiction of how quickly social media goes sour when not addressed immediately. When traditional media was the only outlet businesses used, response to negative sentiments from publics was acceptable within 24 hours. However, today's digital age requires prompt response, and by that I mean often within minutes.
Are you familiar with Volvo's poor decisions made surrounding one fan's internet activity? If not, read this article, you will be shocked: http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/social-media/how-to-avoid-brand-failure-in-a-world-of-social-media/.
Taken from that article are some fantastic points regarding managing a brand online:
"Brands need to adopt if they want to survive in the world where customers have taken control of the message:
Brands no longer control the conversation. So be nice. Invite customers to share, and don’t expect only positive feedback
Rules of conduct are ok. You can edit language of belligerent posts or video: but don’t take down criticism, it’s part of the conversation
Invite customers in. You’d rather have feedback in your curated conversation, than on a YourBrandSucks.com site
Customers are your marketing department. Zappos figured it out. Happy customers tweet, facebook, and blog your brand story
Everyone matters. If you only focus on twitter accounts with large followers, you miss the opportunity to grow your fan base from the ground up" (Torben, 2011).
I am curious to hear what you think about this.
With regards to why dealers do not take on new initiatives easily, as I mentioned in a reply below, their reputations are often scrutinized and therefore they feel the need to tread carefully to ensure that decisions they make won't harm those reputations in any way.
References:
Torben, R. (April 5, 2011). "How to Avoid Brand Failure in a World of Social Media." Retrieved from http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/social-media/how-to-avoid-brand-failure-in-a-world-of-social-media/.
Hey Kristin, thank you for sharing that link. What an article! I must agree with the ‘owner’ of VolvoCars that Volvo’s nitpicking was a bit excessive. I absolutely enjoyed the statement, “He pointed out to the Volvo team that if changing VolvoCars to VolvoSucks would solve their concern – They apparently went strangely silent after that” (Rick, 2011). I have to agree with the writer of the post that it seems simply odd and outrageous that Volvo wants a site taken down that expresses the love for their brand, Volvo. All the points brought up were absolutely correct. As Zappos has acknowledged consumers are a portion of your marketing department therefore it is absolutely shocking that Volvo didn’t use this site as a benefit. As the video showed in your initial blog post consumers are utilizing social media channels to obtain reviews and help them make a purchase decision, Volvo could have easily marketed this site to society as a way to find out what people think of their brand. Huge marketing mistake is evident in Volvo’s tactics! Too much time being spent on the wrong thing. Thank you again for sharing, it was very interesting… To say the least!
DeleteKrystal
References
Rick, T. (2011, April 5). How to avoid brand failure in a world of social media. Retrieved from Torben Rick Blog: http://www.torbenrick.eu/blog/social-media/how-to-avoid-brand-failure-in-a-world-of-social-media/
Hi Krystal,
DeleteYes, when I read this article, I could not stop thinking about how crazy the whole situation was. This is a good example of the confusion some companies are experiencing regarding how to manage their online presence.
Glad you enjoyed it. I did too!
Hi Kristin,
ReplyDeleteGreat blog this week. I especially enjoyed Toyota's video that you embedded above. This highlights the importance of social media and the internet in general when a consumer is thinking about purchasing a car.
You said, "The best digital planning has business cycles written for 6 months-2 years rather than longer. Given the uncertain nature and quickly changing digital environment, the shorter plan allows dealers to act immediately (Qualman, 2012)." This is especially important for car dealers as highlighted in this video. People are always finding new ways to use the internet for research, so dealers must have a presence on Facebook, Yelp, Youtube, and beyond.
Relating to Qualman's point about short business plans, what would you say are Toyota's digital goals, startegy, action, and rapid contingency plans in the next 6 months?
-James
James, I am looking into further details on your question regarding Toyota's plans for the next six months. While searching around on that topic, I found a really interesting link, a perfect example of a company acting quickly-this is about Toyota, and how they avoided a major social media disaster. It is a good read: http://blog.exacttarget.com/blog/social-strategy/how-toyota-turned-toyotafail-into-a-social-media-pr-win
ReplyDeleteI think this is a great example of rapid response on social media. Well done Toyota! Also, Toyota was listed #11 on the top 30 list of 2012's biggest social media advertisers, ranked by Business Insider (Edwards, 2012).
References
Van Domelen, Katie. (February 19, 2011). "How @Toyota turned #toyotafail into a Social Media PR Win." Retrieved from http://blog.exacttarget.com/blog/social-strategy/how-toyota-turned-toyotafail-into-a-social-media-pr-win
Edwards, J. (September 27, 2012). "Meet the 30 Biggest Social Media Advertisers of 2012 [ranked]". Retrieved from http://www.businessinsider.com/the-30-biggest-social-media-advertisers-of-2012-2012-9?op=1.
Great article! This shows that the lesson here is to issue a response immediately - no matter if you are right or wrong as a company.
DeleteIf it ends up being tough finding out about Toyota's strategic plan, what are your recommendations for the next several months?
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAnswering your question as if I were a Toyota dealer, I would recommend that the dealership decide what the goal will be for the social media plan. For auto dealers as I mentioned, it is usually reputation management, an outlet for customer feedback, or educating potential customers and current customers about the vehicles and service.
DeleteSo, let's say for the sake of planning our goal is reputation management. I would choose a strategy intended to help me achieve that goal. Perhaps I decide that social media will reinforce what is already communicated with traditional media .
Following that, I would choose appropriate actions after doing necessary research. Where are my customers circulating? Which ones are on Twitter? Who is on Facebook? Is there a subset who responds to Pinterest? What blog content can we write that will shed positive light on our reputation? From this information I would determine how to tailor the overall message to each targeted audience on their preferred social media outlet.
Lastly, my rapid contingency plan would include social media guidelines for employees that included predetermined messages to address potential negative feedback on social media. I would have a mapped out plan that defines which employees respond to various types of comments and at what point more skilled employees jump into the conversation.
Planning this over the next several months rather than over years is desirable because with the speed at which digital media evolves, frequent follow up is required to stay current. Twitter may be really popular with a subset of my target now, but in 6 months, that may not be true-maybe they will have shifted to Pinterest. Additionally, I would want to review how the social media was managed by employees. Maybe at that point I'd decide there is too much confusion with employees from several departments playing a role in social media management. Perhaps after those six months I'd decide that we needed a central social media monitor in place. Also, in reviewing analytics, I might see that Twitter actually has no influence at all in the business. So, there are a lot of things to review after a few months given how quickly digital technology changes.
I hope that answers your question. To actually write a specific plan here would require a comprehensive background on the business, and a lot of thorough research. I feel as though I could not answer as to what tactics I would choose specifically without weeks of research.
However, I'd like to offer some ideas about what could be done to manage reputation through social media. Communicating cause marketing efforts that the dealership participates in is effective, not only to inform the publics, but for finding ways to engage them. For example, if the dealership sponsored a big race for a cure, they could use social media to engage the customers and potential customers in joining their team (if applicable). Another idea could be soliciting short stories from customers or potential customers that pertain to a cause the dealership supports, and offering a contest for the best story. "Tell us your story about someone you knew who ..." These activities engage the customer and put a "human" face to the business name on social media, providing a connection that shows that business cares.
This could tie in with a strategy of supporting television commercials. Or, it could drive the audience to a company website.
There are so many effective applications with social media. The key for dealers to feel comfortable with it is having that plan in place, and knowing that there is always an opportunity to change it in the short term (6 months) rather than years.
Great ideas! Reputation management is crucial for auto dealers and I think social media is the way to go. Like you said, social media outlets are constantly evolving so auto dealers need to be aware of these changes.
DeleteI love your ideas on cause marketing. I touched on this below on your conversation with Christine. In my opinion, cause marketing is an incredible way to create a positive image. According to Lattimore et al, cause-related marketing increases sales but also enhances image. It's a win-win for any company, especially a car dealer!
This could be the start of an effective IMC campaign where the race for a cure is being promoted on TV, social media, etc. This would in turn lead to higher brand awareness/equity and increase sales.
I do think that dealers should maintain a strategy beyond 6 months for social media, only so that they do not alienate any followers. However, your points about adapting to the changing needs of the social media user are important to remember.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI love the video you posted because I can relate. When I was looking for a new car 18 months ago I took to social media and wanted the opinions of friends and family I trusted. Social media allowed people to comment on the cars they had and why they had them and just like the video I was then lead to dealerships. I did some research and found some good reviews on the dealership. This is exactly how I made my decision. I wonder why car dealerships are behind on the times. I remember when my mother used to go looking at new cars, she went into a dealership and looked around and asked questions, this was the only way to do it. She hated having to talk to the car salesmen because she always felt like she was being pushed. Some places she went to she had nice conversations and building relationships with customers is important has we have read about. Maybe this is why car dealerships are behind on the times, maybe they feel social media wasn’t a great choice because they felt like it would take away that personal feel.
ReplyDeleteI enjoyed reading this chapter. I thought about being open and flexible and only being inflexible when it comes to be true to yourself. The chapter was filled with information many of us can apply to real life.
Christine,
DeleteMy conclusion as to why auto dealers are sometimes "behind the times" lies in the notion that unfortunately, there is a stigma attached to the automobile business. Dealers are constantly managing and monitoring their reputations. New media which encourages two-way communication is daunting for any business in this position.
However, I truly believe that the security of a well organized social media plan provides dealers the confidence required to effectively manage any situation that arises, and from that their businesses and reputations will benefit.
I like the discussion going on here. I've noticed a lot of radio sponsorships lately between car dealers and radio stations. Do you think promoting these contests on social media will help create an effective IMC plan?
DeleteHi James,
DeleteIts interesting to me that you noticed a lot of radio station and car dealer sponsorships because I have noted the same thing, and it seems as though most people I know think radio is "dead" for marketing. I really don't agree with that sentiment. In fact, radio has stayed fairly stable, still attracting listeners as it did years ago, even despite the introduction of satellite radio.
Absolutely I agree that tying this in with social media would be quite effective in an IMC plan. But, I would be careful that the content placed on social media was of a storytelling or engaging nature rather than any kind of direct request for participation, sales, or anything else that might appear to be soliciting business.
I also just purchased a car just recently and I did some research online, but to be honest I did not do a whole lot. I sort of had my mind made up and then used the internet as a resource to locate the car I wanted and then find reviews made by popular car focused publications. I didn't really think to solicit anyone's opinion about the car via social media. What I did notice about the experience that I found unnerving was that even after I purchased the car, it remained on the company's website for about a week after. I also found that the communication between myself and the salesperson was extremely lax, in that he did not have a professional email structure and he did not seem at all concerned about issues that I brought up during the process. It all turned out okay in the end but I thought this showed just how "behind the times" this particular dealership was. They could have done a better job communicating with me in particular (I did not bother to check their reviews- lapse of judgment on my part)a fault I did not expect from a large dealership.
DeleteLooking back at their website they do not have a social media presence at all. I find this somewhat surprising in retrospect given how large they seem to be.
Kristin,
DeleteI think that the for/against radio debate is a really interesting one because I can see both sides of the coin. On the one hand, there are younger listeners, and older ones as well, that have cut commercials largely out of radio by listening to stations on IHeartRadio apps, or by subscribing to Sirius. Many people, like me, still listen to radio with commercials but change the channel to find music again each time a commercial comes on. If not, I tune out and don't listen. It would be interesting to find a study on the effectiveness of radio commercials in comparison to other forms of media.
Laura,
DeleteI found a really great report on radio listening by Arbitron. However, in looking it up again for this discussion, I have not been able to locate it. I will look more carefully and hopefully be able to post a link. It clearly showed the prevalence of radio listening. Also, the percentage of country far exceeded any other genre. It was a huge percentage.
With regards to your car buying experience, was the dealership part of a large auto group or was it existing on its own?
Hi Laura and Kristin,
DeleteI know that radio is considered "passive advertising." How often are you cruising in your car and then all of a sudden you realize you have been listening to twenty minutes worth of commercials? This happens quite a bit. Also, based on our research at work, people leave radios on 1 station at the office and typically do not switch when listening to morning shows. The listening is passive like I said but the messaging does sink in.
Many auto dealers and other companies use radio to drive people to their social media sites - "like us Facebook to enter to win a 2013 Toyota Camry!" - messaging like that.
These kinds of ads grab the attention of the consumer especially when there is an incentive. Social media is powereful, yes, but it's important to not disregard the importance of traditional media.
James,
DeleteI am 100% with you on your comment about the importance of keeping traditional media in the mix.
Has anyone else found it interesting that despite what we hear about the proliferation of television channels and the implications of DVR and on-demand cable services, that auto dealers are still major players on TV? TV and newspapers are their biggest advertising channels. Yet, modern statistics tell us TV is increasingly difficult to use for advertising and newspapers are pretty much dying on the vine.
Why do you all think that is? What is it about TV that works for auto dealers? Is it putting a name with a face? Is it the mass media reach? The frequency at which they can blast a message out to the audience? Is it to "keep up with the Joneses"? I will admit, if I don't see that hefty presence on TV or in a newspaper for a dealer, I automatically assume that dealer is not doing well and not a substantial player in the local market. I will also wonder how they survive. I definitely don't assume they are doing so well that they don't need that advertising. I am more inclined to believe they cannot afford the advertising and their days are numbered.
Do you all think that auto dealers format their television commercials to overcome DVR use by putting important elements in the middle of the screen (which by the way allows viewers watching a fast forwarding commercial to still retain it-they typically remember what is right in the middle of the screen)?
Now realistically, we know that car shoppers go to the internet first most of the time to educate themselves, just as David Meerman Scott suggests in his book, The New Rules of Marketing and PR. From there, they easily find the local dealers. They then will check out reviews online. They might even ask for opinions of others online. So one would think online is the place dealers should be investing their efforts into.
However, I know people who have gone to a specific dealer because that person "looked like a nice guy" to them on TV. And being in an auto dealer family, I do first hand feel the influence of television advertising. My brother is the face on the family business and everywhere I go, I get comments from people. "Hey, we saw your brother's Subaru commercial, it looked great!" Or "Hey, great holiday commercial!" It is amazing. Television clearly works quite well. People not only see if but like to tell me they saw it.
References:
Scott, D.M. (2011) The New Rules of Marketing and PR. Hoboken, NJ: John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Yes I find this very interesting! I believe a huge part of it is that a car is a very visual purchase. Many people are concerned with what a vehicle looks like before they buy it so traditional media is an easy way to showcase the product.
DeleteYes, putting important elements in the middle of the TV is necessary. If the car being showcased is right in the center, people fast forwarding will see it and might even stop if they like what they see.
Have you ever been watching something that was DVR'd, forgot, and then actually watched commercials? I must admit, I do this often...
Yes, Scott says that people will go to the internet to do some research. However, the traditional media will reinforce the messaging that they are finding on the internet.
Kristin,
ReplyDeleteGreat post, I love the incorporation of the video. It really illustrates how Toyota has envisioned their social media presence and it makes a clear connection for consumers who are looking to use social media to connect to brands like Toyota. It is an interesting video in that I have never seen one quite like it. As Krystal mentioned in her first post, it certainly is attention grabbing. I like the fact that it is not Toyota exclaiming out right that consumers should purchased their vehicle. They are letting the conversation "Natalie" has with her friends on Facebook guide the video while showing how useful social media can be in finding, in this case, the right vehicle. You may have answered this question already, if you have I apologize, is this a video used for internal use for Toyota dealers to understand the value of social media, or is this something meant for consumers?
To answer the question you pose at the end of your blog post, I think the main component to any fast acting contingency plan is to have thought of as many scenarios as possible in order to best prepare for those scenarios. When attempting to consider what could possibly happen within the social media realm it would be necessary to have someone available to you that has extensive knowledge in this area. Research would clearly be the first necessary step in understanding what is to come and also to understand how to utilize that information to best suite the organization. This would be if you are referring to a contingency plan focused on how an organization would proceed given the development of new social media so as to stay ahead of the curve.
If you are referring to a contingency plan for consumer feedback then I think the same principles apply. Anticipating a given situation gives an organization time ahead to develop a clear and concise response to a consumer concern before it has the opportunity to grow and cause damage to a company's reputation. Avoiding this sort of Sony-esk social media fire storm can only be avoided with quick and honest response, which is only possible when a contingency plan is in place that has considered this consumer response. Sometimes the best way to avoid a given situation is to look to those who have experienced it in the past and learn from it what not to do.
Hi Laura,
DeleteThat video is part of a program that Toyota offers to its dealers so that they may learn how to implement social media into their marketing and PR efforts. So, it is designed as a learning tool, not for consumers.
I agree with you that contingency plans should be based on past situations and additionally the dealers should attempt to forecast future possible crises.
In general, my feeling about handling negative customer feedback on social media is that the dealer should remove "hate words" (spammy, offensive, vulgar language) but leave negative feedback that is respectfully written. They should always stick to their mission in their responses, and be sure to post additional stories that show them in a positive light when negativity arises. That positive story should not be in response to the negative comment, rather it should be its own separate post-but it should be there so people view it. Often times, if the dealer has done a good job of building a community of advocates on their social media sites, those advocates will jump in and respond on behalf of the dealer, and the dealer doesn't necessarily have to get involved by responding.
Based on your research, how would you answer a Facebook post like this:
Delete"I am very dissapointed in John from your sales department. He hardly returns my calls and I will probably be taking my business to another dealer."
Comments like this are tough, especially when they mention an employee by name.
James, I would respond with:
Delete"James, We will contact you shortly. We want you to be able to share your experience with us so we can make this situation right for you. Thank you for letting us know and we will follow up with you right away. Please accept our apologies."
Following that I would have the appropriate person call him, most likely the sales manager.
In responding to a negative post, I would want to show a heartfelt concern, respond within 24 hours, and take further conversation offline.
Check out this link to an interesting blog post by Ryan Pinkham about how to manage negative feedback on social media: http://www.engagementmarketing.com/blog/5-tips-for-turning-negative-feedback-on-facebook-into-a-wow-experience/.
References
Pinkham, R. (n.d.) "5 Tips for Turning Negative Feedback on Facebook into a WOW! Experience." Retrieved from http://www.engagementmarketing.com/blog/5-tips-for-turning-negative-feedback-on-facebook-into-a-wow-experience/.
That sounds like a perfect response. It is always best to address it immediately then take the conversation offline.
DeleteHey Kristin & James,
DeleteIf I may, I would like to jump in here? I love the 'scenario' that is going on.
With the growing love for social media are you sure 24 hours isn't leaving too much time for your buyer to go elsewhere? I look at some tweets and facebook posts and it seems if frustrated consumers are not responded to within - mere minutes - they continue on their ranting. It is almost as if crisis control is a 24 hour responsibility. I definitely agree with taking the conversation offline. There have been numerous times where I have seen disgruntled consumers being responded to by the company with a request to further dialogue through a private message.
Curious to hear your thoughts - with the growing trend of social media at our fingertips 24/7 is a 24 hour turn around for complaints good enough anymore?
Krystal
Hi Krystal,
DeleteGreat point. People get so frustrated when they are not answered immediately. At the same time, companies cannot expect a social media monitor to be checking their accounts 24/7.
At my company, we have people on call constantly to check these things (the company is international so the social media coordinator from each country is on call after hours). This only works for big companies though so a small auto dealer does not have this luxury.
So to answer your question, 24 hours is not enough for everyone. It's enough for me personally but people need answers right away. Of course, there are some people that will never be pleased. A simple "we're working on it" within minutes of a comment may make the customer happy in the short term but it is best to come to a solution within a couple of hours.
-James
Krystal
DeleteI am so glad you brought that up because the way I wrote that is not clear. What I meant is the response on social media should be as immediate as possible but the follow up call that is mentioned will be coming should be within 24 hours.
Sorry for that confusion! Of course I agree with you social media replies need to be as instant as possible.
Good catch! It was misleading the way I wrote it.
Kristin,
DeleteI figured it was an internal tool. Thank you for clarifying! To add to your earlier post, I find that in my current position my managers do the same thing when responding to negative feedback. They will handle it directly over the phone to ensure that the customer feels vindicated and satisfied that their concerns were heard. Often as soon as possible, after some due diligence has been done, making sure we understand the situation fully before getting the consumer on the phone.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteI agree James 24/7 responsibility is a daunting task and proves to be much more difficult for smaller businesses. It is interesting to know there are actually people on-call to handle these scenarios in certain organizations; thank you for sharing. That actually came as a shock to me.
DeleteHey Kristin, yeah I wasn't sure how you meant it so I figured I would throw that question in there in an attempt to build the dialogue. ;)
@Krystal - it is pretty unbelievable that we have people on call! I was surprised when I found that out.
DeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteWhat do you all think about reaching out to the person versus leaving your phone number and name and asking them to call you? I know some businesses will have a senior manager post a response, who apologizes on behalf of the company and provide a phone number.
ReplyDeleteI think its great that a senior manager would address is personally, but I also think its better for the company to make the phone call, not to ask the customer to do it. Do you all agree? Can anyone think of a scenario when it might be better to ask the customer to call in?
The company should definitely call the customer. We should never ask the customer to make contact again because they have already asked for our help. Asking them to call us is adding in another task for them to complete and may just irritate them depending on how angry they are.
DeleteThe only time a customer should be asked to call in is if the company cannot reach them after a few attempts.
James,
DeleteI could not agree with you more. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.
Kristin! - Great question! My opinion a company's first attempt should always be to get the customers contact info and attempt to make contact. I do agree with James statement pertaining to requesting a customer to contact you when they have been unreachable repeatedly. In a scenario like this I think it proves important to provide the customer with a case # and a representative they can talk to - a feeling that their case is of the utmost priority and someone is centered on correcting it. Too many times are customers juggled from rep to rep causing them to rehash their whole story - and frustrations- a HUGE mistake!
DeleteI agree with James, asking the member to call in might just make them think they are not priority. Worst case scenario, the customer never calls, remains dissatisfied, and continues to spread their negative thoughts and feelings to anyone who will listen.
DeleteKrystal, you make an excellent point. Sometimes the customer just wants to air their grievances and has no desire to be contacted. In that kind of scenario, after a certain amount of attempts have been made to contact the person, asking them to reach out the organization seems appropriate.
Krystal - your thoughts on assigning a designated rep are so important. People hate getting passed around and you're right, they need their case to be the priority!
Delete