Some things are more important than others. Resolving conflicts by managing your online reputation to enhancing products and services through social media engagement, this is a whole new world of user-generated content.
In an era of blogs, Tweets, and Yelps, ignoring the voice of the customer may damage your brand and your bottom line. It doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s how an online reputation management (ORM) program will help your company not only resolve conflicts but also potentially stop them before they degenerate into the kind of PR nightmare that makes you want to book the first flight to Bora Bora.
Enhanced products and services
Online listening can provide a gold mine of information. For instance, the popularity of posting accommodation ratings on travel websites has spurred hotel owners to use the feedback to learn about ways to improve their services. Hotel chains report using social media feedback to adjust staffing and restaurant hours as well as improve staff training.
PC maker Lenovo has also enhanced their services by launching a community that includes peer-to-peer support to engage users worldwide. As bonus, the community-based customer service cut the company’s laptop support call rates by 20%. Even beleaguered Toyota is turning to Digg to enhance their customer relations and reputation management strategy.
Built-in evangelists
Sometimes, according to Forbes.com’s Jeremiah Owyang, social media monitoring (SMM) isn’t always fast enough to quench a problem before it turns into a maelstrom. He suggests creating programs, such as Wal-Mart’s Elevenmoms group, that nurture customer evangelization. These online influencers can be in a position to react to criticism almost as soon as it’s posted—perhaps before your office is even aware of the negative comments.
Start resolving conflicts by listening to what your customers are saying. Contact Social Strategy1 to learn more about social media monitoring services.
