7 tips to enhance customer service, using social media and CRM software solutions. Cement existing relationships and build newer ones in an online setting.

1. Customer service used to be easier when it was all about bricks and mortar stores. You could
actually meet the customer and give him your undivided attention. And in the event something
went wrong, it was always possible to rectify the situation on a face to face basis.
But all this has changed in the modern world. Businesses and customers are located across great
distances and often, the only thing bridging them is an online connection. So how then in this
digital world, do you manage to service the customer and more importantly, salvage a broken
relationship?
1. Reputation management isparamount: Everyone, and by this I club both individuals and
corporations, has a reputation to create and maintain. If you’ve participated online in some
manner, even if it’s to comment on a post, chances are you can ‘Google’ search and find
yourself online. How you conduct yourself online is a direct extension of your business’
values and goals. Think of the Tiger Woods scandal, and on a larger corporate level,
consider the implications for Toyota (its recent recall) and for BP.
2. Be prepared: No matter what you do to protect your reputation, online your chances of a
dissatisfied customer spreading his story are greater, and can lead to a viral reaction that
can instantly threaten to sully your reputation. Unless you are prepared to manage a crisis,
large or small, you may need to fork out money and time to regain customers’ trust and
their business. Accordingly to an article on Forbes.com, BP is estimated to have spent
millions on their online clean up operations, including branded BP YouTube channel.

2. Unless you have that kind of money to spend, it’s all the more important to have a
preventive plan in place.
3. Listen, before you act: The digital medium is a great place for listeners. You can actually
hear what the customer is saying in real time. And it’s important to leverage this to enhance
your own service. Take GAP for instance – their re-branding fiasco could have grown out of
proportion, had they not listened to what their customers were saying, and then acted on it
(in this instance, invite customers to design a new logo).
4. Provide a forum for your customers: This in part ties up with the earlier point – listen to
your customers’ suggestion and advice. It also means you need to provide them with a
controlled environment in which they can rant and rave. If you do not, chances are they’ll
end up doing it anyway, on sites like twitter and facebook (they probably will use social
media sites to conduct attacks, but at least you have a chance to respond civilly on a
dedicated forum).
5. Know when to back down, and when not to: In some instances, you might feel you need
to remain steadfast to your company’s policies and values. But in other situations, it’s
easier to say ‘sorry’ and bow down to the customer. A much used example has been Dave
Carroll’s guitar (United Airlines damaged it in transit and refuse to compensate him. The
YouTube video probably did more damage than the actual incident was worth).
6. Rewrite your website for the customer: If you do not have a FAQ page, it’s time to
create one. Similarly, a toll free number or dedicated customer service line or email
address will help. As will automating your sales process to speed things up, making it
easier for a customer to make a purchase and enticing him to continue exploring further
buying options with you.
7. Personalize your service: This is probably one of the most important steps you can take
to maintain a good relationship with the client. As a company who is probably facing stiff
online competition, a personal touch can go a long way in setting you apart from your
competitors. Keep in touch with your customers, ask for their feedback, address them by
name and respond to their comments or queries. And as with any good customer service,
always get back to them, even if you don’t enjoy listening to what they have to say.
Good customer service doesn’t have to cost much, but it can prove invaluable in cementing
existing relationships and building newer ones.
POSTED IN: CUSTOMER RELATIONSHIP MANAGEMENT / TAGGED: B2B MARKETING, CRM, CUSTOMER
SERVICE, JULIE BEVACQUA

3. A thought-leader in the technology marketing space, Julie Bevacqua is a leading expert in
business-to-business (B2B) marketing with hands-on executive experience in corporate, industry,
and product marketing; demand management; and social media. She has held executive positions
at global enterprise software companies, heading up integrated marketing strategies from brand
differentiation, demand generation, sales and marketing integration, and digital marketing
strategies to media and analyst relations and corporate social responsibility.
By taking every opportunity to extend the company’s digital footprint, Julie guides her team to
achieve online dominance within the global marketplace. A natural networker, motivator and
mentor, Julie shares her marketing and business savvy through her blog www.JulieBevacqua.com.
Business and corporate marketers and entrepreneurs gain unique insights into the latest
techniques on digital and social marketing that can be applied in any organization.
Julie lives and works in Vancouver, British Columbia, a haven for technology and enterprising
upstarts, dubbed ‘Silicon North’.
Reach Julie Bevacqua at:
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Blog: Visit Julie’sBlog