Customers, Company Culture, and Cursing
posted by: Nick Roman on 4/5/2010
This story has been blogged about all over the place, but I’m going to talk about it anyway (I know a bandwagon when I see one!) Anyway, it includes customer feedback and bad language, so it’s right up my alley. (Note: to see the actual exchange discussed, you’ll need to visit the referenced Facebook page, and if you’re easily offended by swearing, skip it altogether. Really, go and have a cup of something soothing instead.)
It’s an outstanding example of what not to do with customer feedback, and the world was hardly short of those already. One of the things that I, and others at Confirmit, talk about a lot is the need to go back to the customer after they give you feedback and tell them what you’ve done with it. Generally, the purpose is to explain something or to make up for a poor experience, not to tell them where to shove it.
At the risk of sounding like I’m siding with the foul-mouthed manager who responded to the customer, I can understand why he didn’t particularly appreciate the way the customer phrased her feedback. It’s a classic example of why you shouldn’t send e-mails when you’re angry (I’ve had to stop myself from doing just that in the past). But no matter how rude the customer is, staff need to be trained to overlook the way in which the complaint or comment is made, and address the actual issue. The impact of feedback can have a huge effect on a company’s employees, both individually and on the corporate culture as a whole.
I recently visited a Confirmit customer whose company culture has changed significantly because of the way in which they use customer feedback. The focus is entirely positive, and there’s a deliberate attempt to avoid falling into the blame game that makes staff fear customer feedback. Staff are trained to understand customer feedback and to respond to it—and I’d put money on the fact that they’ve never gone back to a customer, even a rude one, with a response like the one mentioned above.
Feedback and company culture is something I’ll blog about again, but I doubt I’ll ever find a better example of why it’s vital that your staff learn to welcome feedback and respond to it appropriately—even if, frankly, the customer could do with a light slap.