The customer is always right” is an age old adage. With the advent of the digital era, what has changed is not the sentiment, but the impact of this maxim: get it right and all is well; get it wrong and you will be held publically accountable due to the accessible, viral nature of social media.
Virgin Media was subject to this realisation last month when an image uploaded to Facebook on 22nd April went viral, being shared over 65,000 times in a matter of days.
For legal reasons we have to point out that there is a chance that this is a hoax, but we have absolutely no reason to believe it is.
So, what can you do to maximise the customer experience positively for your company? Here are three key considerations:
Inform, don’t sell.
The consumer model has changed with more and more people going online to make financial services purchases instead of going to a provider ‘on the high street’.
In this model, price is a key determining factor but it is not the only one. Value for money is a clear consideration so it is important your teams and your online mediums inform consumers on your value proposition in relation to their needs so that they can make an informed decision when the time is right for them individually. Remember, people do not want to be sold to: they want to buy.
Be present, not overwhelming:
One determining factor in this new consumer approach to ‘buying through research’ is the importance of being found.
With more and more people turning to Google to search out their purchases, and with the social recommendations of family and friends having a bigger impact, it is important that you rank in search results and feature in social media feeds.
Help people to find you, to assess you and to choose you!
Engage, don’t enforce
The traditional sales team is fast becoming a thing of the past. Outbound sales calls and spam type advertising won’t work going forward.
Make sure your teams are trained on the latest customer engagement strategies so that they can identify a customer’s needs and provide the right range of suitable services in a way that helps buyers to make an informed purchase that is right for them!