Ask any chef, carpenter, artist, IT professional, you-name-it, and they’ll tell you the right tool–-used the right way-–is the key to a successful result. It seems that many companies forget this fundamental truth, throwing not only the wrong communications tools at customers, but also in the wrong way. I guess they think they’re being leading-edge or considerate (”Look at all the cool choices we’re giving you!”). But usually they are just annoying customers to the point of losing them.
Take email and websites. Electronic communications are immediate communications. So, if you aren’t going to respond within, oh, two hours, then you’re not using the tool right. Your customers email you or use an online form because they want an immediate response. When a company takes days to get back to an electronic inquiry, they’ve usually already lost to a company that is more responsive. And, what about customers without access to the Internet? Be sure whenever you market your electronic communications you also include other tools; don’t leave ”unplugged” customers out in the cold.
Another example is voicemail and auto-attendants. The phone is a personal medium; you speak to people on the phone. When your customers call you–-and, hey, you gave them your phone number-–they expect to speak with someone. Forcing customers to trudge through endless choices for this department or that problem category isn’t using the tool as it was intended, nor as people want it to be used. And, certainly, forcing customers to leave voicemail so you can get back to them (when it’s convenient for you; so sorry it might not be convenient for your customer) isn’t what they expect when they pick up the phone to call. The only happy ending to that scenario is an almost-immediate call-back, no more than two hours delay.
Whatever communications tools you use, make certain they are appropriate to your audience and that you put in place the back-end support structures to make the tools work effectively. Otherwise, you will not enjoy the success these tools promise. It’s no different than trying to drive a screw with a hammer or fold egg whites with a fork. Can you say “exercise in frustration”? Well, your customers can probably say, “I think I’ll try the competition!”
This first appeared August 18 ,2006 on Kup & Sourcer’s Percolating blog.