I recently stumbled upon a series of brutally honest fables that includes classics such as Sexy Woman Mooches off of Horny Short Men, Duck with Low Self Esteem is Tormented, and Little Spoiled Brat Robs Innocent Animals. To some these re-titled fairy tales are what the titles for classic stories really should be. They do just what any good title should do. They tell you what the story is about. While these might seem a bit outrageous, the truth is that these are spot-on trend with the move towards a more human, real, transparent discourse that is ongoing. Consumers are wary of the hype and would rather know the truth.
Recently, I ran into a colleague that had an issue with a firestorm of negative feedback based on new policies that were implemented. The negative feedback made its way into social media including Facebook. The Company’s first instinct was to delete the facebook page and lose thousands of fans. That is exactly the WRONG approach. Instead, the customer crisis was an opportunity to act quickly and decisively to turn a negative into a positive by showing responsiveness and care for customers. I suggested focusing on transparency and greater community involvement as a way to overcome short-term challenges. Specifically, I suggested:
1. Have consistent honest communications with your fans that is amped up in the near-term: Customers should hear from the company in consistent communications that are honest and informative. Confront issues and don’t be afraid of them. Remember that people might not be listening the first time, and even if they hear you the second time they still might have doubts. It will likely take several times to get your message across. If you are having trust issues, use customer interactions to engage directly with customers, including facebook, in-store, and newsletters. Which leads me to my second point …
2. Make a positive impact in your community and get credit for it: The reality is that it is still a difficult environment for both companies and consumers. If you’re not making an impact in your community, start immediately. Once your community deems that you are really interested in making an impact, then they are willing to invite you into the conversation. You’ll need to pay your dues before you can take credit for the positive impact you are making. Over time, you will build up goodwill with several community groups and can enlist ambassadors to speak up on your behalf. If your customers learn of the good you are doing, they might be more understanding of mistakes along the way.
Increasingly, companies are creating “community manager” positions to engage in direct conversation with customers and influencers. Facebook is one aspect of community management that needs to be folded into a larger effort of becoming an active member of your community.
Image by Iwan Beijes from Stock.Xchng
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Remember that people might not be listening the first time, and even if they hear us the second time they still might have doubts.