Really like this article, David - it demonstrates so clearly that social media is now an essential input into the customer insight mix.
And your point that social media has moved beyond listening/monitoring into interaction is a key one - even if the interaction itself can be a little unstructured and so a bit scary for some!
I'd like to add a couple more points here:
1) the journey stages you describe are geared towards brand and product - both valuable of course, but I would also include a more customer-centric view. Simply by exploring peoples' lives, one can pick up the context of how a brand or product is being recognised, even if sub-consciously. As an example, my work in healthcare has helped me understand how patients often reveal their attitudes and beliefs about health in general on a bulletin board, which in turn can offer clues to more specific attitude and behaviour about drug regimes, treatment and social care.
2) Aligned to the above, I find social media offers insight into those journey steps that are loosely "pre-consumer" i.e. before any purchasing intent has been developed. For example, the stories of peoples' visits to the Olympic and Paralympic Games last summer showed how their trip inspired many to participation. This was more than simply 'awareness' - it's was a level of engagement that only came alive in the 'seeing' and 'doing'.
Brands can learn so much about their customers' lives from social media, not just their buying habits or product preferences. This approach has been a feature of ethnographic study for many years, and I feel that its application in social media is underrepresented to date.
Interesting video post, which highlights how strongly employee engagement is valued within Virgin Atlantic.
(you can really here the passion in Paul's voice too!)
I would take one point he makes though with a large pinch of salt, when he says that customer-facing colleagues "are like having an army of qualitative reseachers out there"
There is certainly heaps of insight one can get from employees, and this is a key source of information for companies and CX designers alike. But employees are not researchers, and their feedback should be used within the context of an employee-customer interaction - their primary role is to serve the customer's needs and deliver the brand promise. Are they trained to ask open-ended questions, capture the context of the customer's issue, codify it, integrate it with other customers, both similar and different? Good qualitative researchers will also use external reference points to triangulate their findings perhaps with market or competitor data, or even longitudinal information to spot trends.
Most of all, there are plenty of things that a customer will say to an independent researcher that they won't say to an employee. having said that, understanding CX is founded on bringing together multiple perspectives, and in fairness, Paul does highlight the variety of other insight sources Virgin use.
I can see a place for customer service apps, but as a proactive tool for customers - something they might download in advance of a problem, rather than because of one.
The article already makes a strong case for why using them as a reactive tool is weak - the whole purpose of smart accessible online feedback channels is to reduce the hurdles to being heard, not add to them. Existing channels such as Twitter and Facebook are a far more natural digital domain for customers to ask (and find) help.
But if customers download an app as part of everyday interface with that brand, and then use the same app to deal with CS issues, that's a convenient way for them to interact. For example, if you're a commuter, and use an app to check train running status, then linking thru' that app to customer service would be seamless and familiar.
I'd highlight the Amazon app (iPhone) as a good example of how this works. Their app is most commonly used to search for, order and track items, and all of this functionality works reliably. But there is also a link to customer service, which either takes you directly thru' to the contact page on the website (no need to leave the app to fire up the web browser) or call Customer Service (on an 0800 toll free number which dials automatically on your phone - the only downside to this is that mobile operators still charge you for 0800 calls, but this isn't Amazon's fault)
As ever, the secret to good app design is to understand the customers' needs and emotions, and be clear about how fulfilling them matches the brand's own values and differentiates them in the process.
Absolutely agree that what people do is becoming more, well, more impactful, than what they earn.
but track days as socially acceptable? I don't think so - it may have bragging rights to mates, but it's totally gratuitous in terms of its unnecessary environmental impact. hardly anything to be socially proud of. --
My answers
Really like this article, David - it demonstrates so clearly that social media is now an essential input into the customer insight mix.
And your point that social media has moved beyond listening/monitoring into interaction is a key one - even if the interaction itself can be a little unstructured and so a bit scary for some!
I'd like to add a couple more points here:
1) the journey stages you describe are geared towards brand and product - both valuable of course, but I would also include a more customer-centric view. Simply by exploring peoples' lives, one can pick up the context of how a brand or product is being recognised, even if sub-consciously. As an example, my work in healthcare has helped me understand how patients often reveal their attitudes and beliefs about health in general on a bulletin board, which in turn can offer clues to more specific attitude and behaviour about drug regimes, treatment and social care.
2) Aligned to the above, I find social media offers insight into those journey steps that are loosely "pre-consumer" i.e. before any purchasing intent has been developed. For example, the stories of peoples' visits to the Olympic and Paralympic Games last summer showed how their trip inspired many to participation. This was more than simply 'awareness' - it's was a level of engagement that only came alive in the 'seeing' and 'doing'.
Brands can learn so much about their customers' lives from social media, not just their buying habits or product preferences. This approach has been a feature of ethnographic study for many years, and I feel that its application in social media is underrepresented to date.
Interesting video post, which highlights how strongly employee engagement is valued within Virgin Atlantic.
(you can really here the passion in Paul's voice too!)
I would take one point he makes though with a large pinch of salt, when he says that customer-facing colleagues "are like having an army of qualitative reseachers out there"
There is certainly heaps of insight one can get from employees, and this is a key source of information for companies and CX designers alike. But employees are not researchers, and their feedback should be used within the context of an employee-customer interaction - their primary role is to serve the customer's needs and deliver the brand promise. Are they trained to ask open-ended questions, capture the context of the customer's issue, codify it, integrate it with other customers, both similar and different? Good qualitative researchers will also use external reference points to triangulate their findings perhaps with market or competitor data, or even longitudinal information to spot trends.
Most of all, there are plenty of things that a customer will say to an independent researcher that they won't say to an employee. having said that, understanding CX is founded on bringing together multiple perspectives, and in fairness, Paul does highlight the variety of other insight sources Virgin use.
Rick Harris
www.customerfaithful.com
-- Rick Harris Owner, Customer Faithful
I can see a place for customer service apps, but as a proactive tool for customers - something they might download in advance of a problem, rather than because of one.
The article already makes a strong case for why using them as a reactive tool is weak - the whole purpose of smart accessible online feedback channels is to reduce the hurdles to being heard, not add to them. Existing channels such as Twitter and Facebook are a far more natural digital domain for customers to ask (and find) help.
But if customers download an app as part of everyday interface with that brand, and then use the same app to deal with CS issues, that's a convenient way for them to interact. For example, if you're a commuter, and use an app to check train running status, then linking thru' that app to customer service would be seamless and familiar.
I'd highlight the Amazon app (iPhone) as a good example of how this works. Their app is most commonly used to search for, order and track items, and all of this functionality works reliably. But there is also a link to customer service, which either takes you directly thru' to the contact page on the website (no need to leave the app to fire up the web browser) or call Customer Service (on an 0800 toll free number which dials automatically on your phone - the only downside to this is that mobile operators still charge you for 0800 calls, but this isn't Amazon's fault)
As ever, the secret to good app design is to understand the customers' needs and emotions, and be clear about how fulfilling them matches the brand's own values and differentiates them in the process.
-- Rick Harris - Owner, customerfaithful.com
PS: see my blog article for futher details on app design at: http://customerfaithful.com/3-tips-for-an-winning-app/
Absolutely agree that what people do is becoming more, well, more impactful, than what they earn.
but track days as socially acceptable? I don't think so - it may have bragging rights to mates, but it's totally gratuitous in terms of its unnecessary environmental impact. hardly anything to be socially proud of. --
Rick Harris Owner, Customer Faithful