Scenario 1:
Guy walks into a bar, goes up to the first woman he sees, and says “You don’t know me, but I’m awesome in bed.” The woman throws her drink in the man’s face and turns back to her friend.
Scenario 2:
Guy walks into a bar, and just sits and chills with a drink. A woman across the bar notices him, and turns to her friend – That’s so-and-so! I’ve read about him – He’s a really nice guy – One of my friends used to date him, and said he was awesome. I know he’s single, and you’re single, you should totally go talk to him!
Which scenario would you prefer?
In 2015, let’s make a pledge to stop telling the world how awesome our business is.
Let’s pledge to stop using social media to broadcast the fact that we think we’re amazing, because, let’s face it, who really believes how great you are, when you’re the one who has to tell them?
Instead, let’s spend 2015 growing our customer service for the better – Let’s take examples from companies that are doing it right, and teach our employees how to have empathy, how to care, and how to be human beings in the service of human beings.
Or, as The Ritz-Carlton puts it, Ladies and Gentlemen in the Service of Ladies and Gentlemen.
Let’s stop focusing on fixing problems once they wind up on Twitter, but preventing the problems in the first place.
Just because you’ve given your customers the ability to complain to you online doesn’t mean that should be the norm! The norm should be creating such amazing experiences, that your customers can’t complain to you online, but rather, can spend all their time online telling everyone they know how amazing you are!
Let’s face it – We’re moving to a world where everything we do, everyone with whom we interact, and every business from which we buy, will be in our network. How we’re treated will determine the sentiment of that interaction, which will determine where that company ranks in our online (and offline) world.
Treat your customers well, they’ll be around forever, and they’ll see you constantly. Treat them poorly, and you’ll simply be a footnote in their browsing history.
This year, let’s pledge to do better, and to understand that the real art of social, is letting everyone else do it for you.
————
Peter Shankman spends most of his time on a plane, teaching companies how to breed their customers into Zombie Loyalists to increase revenue and drive sales. Zombie Loyalists: Using Great Service to Create Rabid Fans is his fourth book, and comes out on January 27th. His life can be found at www.shankman.com, and he’s @petershankman on most every social network out there.