Recently while fetching lunch for the office crew, my view of customer service hit a pivot point. Shocked at what I’d just heard, I was eager to bring back some lively discussion along with our sandwiches and gluten free cookies.

While at the restaurant, I asked the cashier how they manage customer complaints. The young woman chirped, “We get our complaints on Yelp.”
It’s not that they are doing a bad job of customer service, she was pleasant and engaged and I had no complaints. I was just curious about their process.

Her response told me that their approach toward complaints was trendy versus active. Has the day arrived when we no longer need to listen to each and every customer because of apps that tell us whether we are good or poor?

Take back control of your customer service.

The lesson learned is confusing. On one hand apps like Yelp are helpful and fun to use. On the other hand I would prefer that the businesses I frequent be in a position to receive my feedback without expecting me to use a third party customer service provider.

In transportation his is called Third Party Logistics or 3PL’s. Third Party Customer Service is not effective or genuine. Your customers want to know that you care. When a company uses an app like Yelp, it does show that they care somewhat, thus the confusion. They obviously care enough to engage via social channels and this is important. It’s critical that companies don’t confuse good ratings for good customer service.

Review apps should not be the primary way that customer feedback is handled. I encourage you to take control. One way to do this is to always respond to customer emails, phone calls, tweets or any message you receive with a request for a response. Another way is to track the feedback diligently each and every time you get it. It’s a good idea to keep an independent record of customer feedback received via social media interactions.

This is easier than you think and will provide you with a valuable data that is important to your business. In addition, if the comments or reviews happen to disappear from the review site, you will have your own record of the information rather than losing the valuable feedback that was captured on the third party site.

It’s crucial to have a customer feedback process and software in place that is managed by you to ensure that all information is recorded and utilized to improve the customer experience. Only then will you be in control of the feedback that drives your company to greater success.

The fact that your front line employees provide the vast majority customer service is not news, but what if they were empowered to do more than extend a kind greeting and apologize for any mishaps? We at C3 Touch Solutions believe that there is a valuable opportunity that many retail and service organizations are missing. The opportunity lies in the ability for front line customer service reps to record the feedback that customers provide.

“Oh, you didn’t find the Cabot Cheddar Cheese? Let me make a note of that in our customer feedback system so that management is aware. Would you like us to notify you when it comes in?

This level of empowerment has two major benefits. First, it shows the customer that you really do care about their experience. You care enough to implement a system and train your employees to offer a level of service that is rare. Second, employees gain the satisfaction of actually being able to take action when an unhappy customer is in front of them. This added level of empowerment engages the employee and lets him or her know that the well-being of the customer is important to the organization.

We call this “Trickle Up” customer service. What better way to keep management informed of the customer experience than to empower your front line to capture what customers are saying? C3 Touch makes this easy with its touch screen capability and simple web form. It can be tapped into an iPad or typed into a web form placed anywhere you’d like. Further, it’s free for all employees at this level. The low monthly fee for C3 Touch only extends to managers who want to access the data and reporting features.

Please your customers and empower your employees by integrating a simple and affordable customer feedback system today.

www.C3Touch.com

Recently I had the opportunity to hear Scott Stratten, Author of UnMarketing, speak at the Governor’s Tourism Convention in Phoenix. I was looking forward to hearing him speak because he has a unique message about the waning value of traditional marketing. The essence of his message is that exceptional customer service is more important than ever in a world where people freely share their opinions via social media. Hearing this put a big smile on my face, as he echoed what my team and I at C3 Touch Solutions have been saying for quite some time. This very message is what inspired us to launch C3 Touch as a simple, affordable customer feedback tool.

Ways to market your company through excellent customer service include:

1. Encourage authentic customer service.
2. It’s better to have an active social media presence than to have one and let it go dormant. Stratten states that untouched social media gives a bad impression and should just be deleted.
3. Utilize tools such as C3 Touch to let your customers know that you are listening while giving your company the feedback needed to improve the bottom line.

In a world that is becoming more transparent by the day, marketing without substance is falling on deaf ears. The process of engaging is truly the most powerful way to market your product or service.

The vast majority of customer feedback is not being captured. Consider the following scenario. You enter a store or any kind of business establishment only to encounter a problem. You proceed to tell the sales/service representative your concern. It may get taken care of right then and there, or, it may be an issue such the store not having a specific product you needed. The rep will often say something like, “Oh, we must be out of that. Sorry for the inconvenience. How frequently do you think the feedback is formally recorded for management to review? The answer is almost never.

Call centers do a little better, as they record the feedback in your file. However, in terms of face to face customer service, complaints, comments, and even compliments all too often fall through the cracks.

Doing what most companies do now–leaving it up to the customer to call a hotline, go to the website or send an email, means that the vast majority of customer feedback is never captured.

This is a lost opportunity for an organization to see itself accurately through the eyes of customers. Not only are opportunities for improvement lost, but there is no way to track trends and see patterns that would otherwise go unnoticed.

Perhaps the most offensive part of this widespread practice is that the customer leaves the business establishment knowing that no one but the representative that he or she told will ever hear about their experience. In today’s world of sleek technology and software solutions, this is completely unacceptable.

The solution lies in products such as C3 Touch that provide a simple web form that both customers and employees can access. Here’s the rule: When a representative is told about a problem, he or she is responsible for entering the information right then and there.

If the customer doesn’t want to provide a name, the information can be recorded as anonymous. Either way, the organization now has the voice of the customer formally recorded.

There is no reason that vital information such as customer feedback should fall through the cracks. Register for your copy of C3 Touch today and try it for 30 days at no cost. We can’t just say we care, it’s time we show the customer we care by letting the organization hear what they have to say.

At C 3 Touch Solutions, we Love Our Customers. And because we believe that “love” can be a powerful action word, we want to share ten ways we are committed to providing an excellent experience for you, our customer:

We will:
1. Always listen and seek to understand your requirements and objectives.
2. Be responsive to your needs, as our valued customer.
3. Strive to exceed your expectations.
4. Exhibit friendliness during all interactions.
5. Do our best to share worthwhile, timely and helpful information about our industry
6. Accurately inform you as to the capabilities of our products.
7. Provide a healthy, positive work environment for our fellow employees.
8. Offer informed, unbiased advice.
9. Deliver solutions to problems in a prompt, friendly and efficient manner.
10. At all times, demonstrate respect for you, our customer.
Thanks for stopping by our blog. Before you move on, please take time to visit our demo and learn more about how our streamlined solutions can help you engage with your customers in the best way possible!

Meanwhile, love your customers!

Purchasing has become quality driven. Research now shows that consumer reviews are the most trusted source for advice when making a purchasing decision. What does that mean? The product and service delivered by an organization has to be top quality.

This is a golden age for consumers who can now refer to a vast amount of advice from people just like them to help with decisions on what to purchase. And companies who have an excellent product or service, but have not had the advertising dollars to get the word out should be rejoicing right now. Your customers will spread the word for you!

I just returned from the dentist after having three metal (read: mercury) cavities replaced. Was it fun? Yes and no. Yes, because my dentist and dental assistant were great. No, because I had my mouth propped open for thirty minutes while drooling. As I was leaving, I was asked to write a review on Google and given a $5.00 Starbucks gift card as a thank you in advance. Do I plan on writing that review? You bet, and I guarantee it will give them a handsome return on their five bucks. But glowing reviews on consumer driven websites are only part of the picture. They may drive new business, but repeat business requires a consistent quality experience. Direct feedback in the form of comments, complaints and compliments is just the report card organizations need to continue receiving A’s on external websites.
This is one of the reasons we created C3 Touch. We know that engaging customers is a win/win and whether the feedback received is good or bad, it needs to be captured in an organized format and reviewed regularly. Those who listen to their customers and use the feedback to continuously improve are going to float, while those who turn a blind eye to the voice of the customer will sink. We wish you much success and smooth sailing.