My grandfather always said, “The customer is always right.” He applied this to his work as a butcher for 40 years and in his life on the other side of the counter. There were times he didn't agree with his bill at the lawnmower repair shop or the fees charged to his credit card or even how a loan was handled at the local bank. In each circumstance, my grandfather proved his theory, the customer is always right.
Not much has changed from this way of thinking as we advance in a technologically savvy world. Now, with social CRM and mobile care, it is just as important to truly understand the customer's role in the conversation. In fact, businesses need to understand that the customer owns the conversation and is in complete control. According to this CRM Buyer report, this is a customer-empowered world.
In a customer-empowered world, it is crucial to understand the way customers work and gauge what solutions to implement. Take for instance the knowledge that most customers will turn to a search engine to locate an address or phone number for someone to deal with their problem. This is a common process that companies can learn from and bank on.
This type of customer doesn’t care that they may be sending a “help” e-mail to the president or CEO of the company, someone who would honestly have no immediate way of handling the problem; they just want a resolution.
It would be impossible to expect every employee to be trained to deal expertly with customers, their information and every product aspect. That's why there are various positions within a company. We all have our place with strengths and weaknesses. Yet by providing every employee the access to a social CRM and mobile care solution, without hours upon hours of training, customers could get the service they desire. Isn't that the point in the first place?
The idea that the guy delivering packages down in the warehouse or the overworked accountant in the fourth cubicle from the corner may not be as excited about this version of customer service as the customer is close to reality. But social CRM and mobile care solutions done right and in stages is likely to catch on.
The process is something that can become an easy access point for even those non-traditional users. Face it, because the customer is always right they are going to choose which channel they make contact through; it's no longer up to you.
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Edited by Rachel Ramsey