Thought exercise: what has been the best customer service experience of your life? What about the worst?
I recently contacted FitBit’s customer service because there were dead pixels on my watch that were making it difficult to read my step count (my main measure of sanity during quarantine). I had already read in the forums that other people experienced the same issue and in each instance a forum moderator directed the customer to reach out directly for a resolution. I was happy to find in my easy 10-minute chat conversation with Janine at FitBit that the resolution meant a replacement watch for me since I was within the one-year warranty. FitBit Customer Service made the process simple, never making me feel at fault, and the new watch was in the mail within 24 hours. Now instead of writing an angry diatribe fueled by my lack of step calculations, I am now singing the praises of a company that values me and my business. So, everyone, go buy a FitBit! #NotAPaidAdvertisement
It used to be that your brand’s reputation had minimal impact – reaching as far as you were willing to travel or send a letter or publish an ad in a newspaper. Now your online reputation can reach as far as the Internet will take it based on a customer service experience, a late delivery, a faulty device, or a misguided marketing campaign. Whether as an individual or a brand, reputation matters more than ever now. And a negative reputation can cost you money: according to a Harvard Business School working paper, a one-star increase in Yelp rating leads to a 5-9 percent increase in revenue.
With the rise of online review systems you can measure your reputation better than ever. On websites like Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google My Business, and Amazon consumers can designate star ratings for businesses and services. On social media consumers can literally ask their followers for recommendations and share their opinions on “must-buys” and “must-avoids”. The speed at which this information is generated and distributed is generally out of your control as a brand, spreading like wildfire. It’s easy to hate these review services for the culture of Review Blackmailers it’s created, but with the right reputation management strategy you can make it clear to all consumers which reviews are authentic and which are not.
I recently read a brilliant piece by Ally Fouts from Viget about how she thinks of “The Mechanics of Reputation.” (Please read the article for a more thought out and beautifully illustrated explanation of this concept. Then let’s geek out about it together!) Ally sees your reputation as a car rolling down a hill with your brand as the steering wheel and your marketing as the gas. Let’s say your online reviews are slowly taking a hit as consumers complain about a recent menu change or a delayed delivery. Their opinion is already out there in the open for the world to see and use to influence their purchasing decisions.
In this situation there are a few ways to manage your brand’s reputation:
- Reply to the reviews publicly with an authentic apology (don’t just copy and paste script language) or explanation for the situation to show other consumers that you are at least aware of the situation. It adds context for the future consumer so it isn’t just a one-way conversation of a bad experience.
- For larger publicity debacles you can put together a marketing campaign to gain back public trust. An extreme example is Tylenol’s campaign in the 80’s to build back consumer trust after a string of deaths related to poisoned Tylenol capsules.
- Meet your consumer before they are emotionally driven to write a negative review. Take a pulse check and resolve issues before they grow.
From the first touchpoint to the last, every inch of your customer’s journey matters in developing your brand’s reputation. Don’t skimp on the details or it could lead to a car wreck at the end with much more costly damage control.
How else do you try to stay ahead of your brand’s reputation?
Molly S Harrold 