Silly question, right? Not really. When you engage with a customer or prospective customer, you become the defacto “brand” for your company. The
quality of the experience will either confirm their hopes about you and your
company, or validate their fears. This is true for salespeople, customer service representatives, installation and maintenance technicians, marketing
reps, and other assorted customer-facing positions in your company.
I read with interest the other day about a service disaster that took place within a Sears Brand Central store, as a disinterested, disengaged floor associate managed to alienate and drive away a potential customer who was in the market for a replacement washing machine. The story went that as the customer was asking specific questions about the models that were for sale at Sears, the “salesperson” suggested that she might just go online and find all the nformation before coming into the store. This customer left and most certainly did not come back. Does anyone believe that Sears is in a position to be turning away potential buyers?
Every brand stands for something…at least every brand that has a chance of survival and success. Companies invest heavily to create awareness, understanding and to position those brand values in the hearts and minds of their target audience. Yet it just might take one disappointing interaction to derail all the marketing work that has been done to date. That moment-of-truth when you connect with a customer, and you either become an exclamation point, driving home and personalizing the brand. Or you become a question mark, leaving a prospect wondering if this is really the association they want to make.
We talk a lot about social networking, viral campaigns, guerilla marketing, experiential initiatives. It all hinges on validation, on confirming or challenging the gently seated impressions of the consumer. Creativity and engagement only work when the customer experience is positive. The interface between the humanity and the technology, where dreams are delivered, intact or broken, is where success is built.
The next time you come together with a customer, will you be a question mark or an exclamation point?
