I don’t like having to play detective games with customer service representatives. By this I mean the interminable series of questions that customers are forced to ask to get a reasonably logical response to a question or query. The wondrous feature about this dance is that many representatives don’t flinch when they give the short responses. To them, it’s a perfectly appropriate response.
I have vivid memories of making calls to businesses and being taken aback by the reluctance of customer service representatives (CSRs) to be forthcoming with basic information. Thank goodness that I have a formula for managing my emotional response in these situations. The big question being addressed here though, goes beyond contact agent knowledge, to the wider the issue of customer education.
I do believe that too many businesses, educating the customer means, for example, useful signage. In supermarkets that means lane signage, in restaurants, that means smoking or non-smoking signs and to furniture and appliance retailers, that means merchandise-section signage. When a business acknowledges that its customers want and need to be educated beyond the basics of location signage or transaction guidelines, a major opportunity for customer engagement presents itself. I don’t believe that enough businesses seize this opportunity.
Educating customers is about going beyond the perfunctory information that provides the customer with useful information to execute the exchange between currency and the product or service. It’s about figuring out in which areas education is required and then providing thoughtful information and content that enriches the customer’s ability to maximise the use of a particular product or service. Of course, this educational content has to be shared across the correct channels for optimal impact. Being able to match content to channel, is a critical decision, since some channels lend themselves to simple sound bites, whilst others are best suited to long form content.
Deciding on the nature of the content can be a big hit or miss calculation. It’s risky to take decisions about content in the board room, without the benefit of consultation with the customer. I favour asking the customer, so that the off-target and off-putting impact of “guestimates” can be reduced. Many businesses seem to find it bothersome to ask the customer for his or her opinion. Just too much work.
There are cheap and cheerful ways of building intelligence around the educational information that should be shared with customers. One way is to capture some of the frequently asked questions that are posed by customers. Are there recurrent themes? Are customers pre-occupied with specific areas of interest? When a business begins to pay attention to the whisperings of its customers, revelations occur and ideas for customer-resonant content, begin to suggest themselves. Flooding Facebook pages with “good morning” greetings and religious quotes, daily, without additional, value-related content, is not always a productive customer bonding strategy.
Customer education can run the gamut from demystifying transactional processes, suggesting creative uses for merchandise, extending the life of products, to multiple uses for products. On the service end, the education can include in-between care regimens (think hair, automotive and lawn care tips), money-saving suggestions, as well as information on self-managed options (think exercise, diet management and house cleaning).
When a business begins the process of really listening to its customers, it can immediately become a content creator and curator. Some of the best channels for sharing content and connecting with customers, are housed on social media platforms. There’s also burgeoning opportunities for brand influencing with customers who are active on the platforms. Far too many businesses under-utilise social media for customer engagement purposes. For many businesses, it’s fashionable to say that they have a social media presence, but on closer inspection, that presence is static.
My first suggestion to any business that’s contemplating launching its customer education programme, is to see the product or service that is being offered through the eyes of the customer. Set up a system for discovering why the customer purchases the product or service and then stream relatable information to the customer, around the insights gained from his or her feedback. Send skincare information to customers who purchase makeup, share gardening tips with customers who purchase lawnmowers and offer tips on vegetarian meals to diners who don’t eat meat.
Remember though, that while it’s easy to start the process of educating customers, the real test is in the ability to remain consistent in streaming content. Because, as we know, inconsistency is the saboteur of great ideas and great initiatives.
You don’t want to start “hot” and run “cold.”