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Review Your Customer Communications

The Five Keys to Customer Experience - Part 2

By Jeannie Walters

Part 1 - Part 2 - Part 3 - Part 4 - Part 5

Reviewing your customer communications can seem like a no-brainer. At Vox, it's part of our Customerspective Audit. A common assumption from our clients is this task means reviewing their marketing materials. Often we hear a defense of the materials before we see anything. Here's a sample dialogue:

"Ok, we'll show you our marketing materials, but you should know that the Marketing VP before me was really into our old tag line, so that's all over everything. I changed the direction to our core promise, and I also modified the logo - the old one was awful! And we are in the midst of changing our web site. We also are still learning the content management system, so our web site has some old information on it. Oh, and I should tell you about this letter that went out last week to customers announcing our new promotion - but that was for new customers only..And did I mention that the CEO started his own blog?"

Phew! It's exhausting!

And just think about it from your customer's perspective! Here's an example:

Mary Customer becomes a customer after following a friend's recommendation. Mary receives some 'new customer' information which imbues a warm, friendly tone and makes her feel good about her choice. Then, Mary receives her first invoice. The logo is there - but nothing else about the invoice provides the same feeling about the company. She's also confused about a charge. She decides to check out the web site for answers but finds the online experience confusing, contradictory, and frustrating.

Finally, she calls the call center only to be lost in the inevitable automated dialing system. If she does reach a real person, are they equipped with the right scripts and answers to take care of her concerns? If she was dealing with a smaller company, she might not get a call center but rather a less-than-friendly accounts receivable employee who doesn't regularly talk to customers and doesn't see what the problem is.

A month later, Mary receives another copy of the bill with a late fee on it.

At the end of all that, how do you think Mary would rate her customer experience? Do you think she would remember the recommendation from her friend or the warm, friendly new customer materials?

No - Mary would recall the frustrating interactions she had with the company revolving around what may have been a simple question about her bill.

So if you're ready to truly tackle reviewing your customer communications - you have to think big. And you have to think small.

Know what you're evaluating. It's one thing to have great-looking marketing pieces. But it's another to be sure that your message lives up to what your company promises. If you don't know what your company is promising, then how do you know what tone and agreement you want to reach with customers? For example, have you noticed DHL's new branding? It's all about customer service. They have a new Chief Experience Officer. They are looking at the experience as a whole, which is what every company should be doing. All of their communications seem to support this.

Review your pre-sale communications.

Think of your customer communications as anything that interacts with your customers. This includes marketing materials and pre-sale communications. These might include:

Direct mail
Marketing brochures
Web site
Advertising

Review these from your customer's viewpoint. Are you discussing what's important to them? Think about your customer reviewing everything while thinking, 'What do I get out of this?'

Review your regular customer communications.

These come in many forms, not limited to sales and promotional items. These might include:

Newsletters
Email communications
Blogs
Invoices
Statements
Renewal Statements
Other regular publications

Review every one of these 'touchpoints' for consistency in messaging, along with what your customers care about. An easy one - do you say thank you on your invoices? Remember Mary? Review your invoices and statements for ease of understanding, too. Include information about how to reach you whenever it might be helpful - on invoices, in your emails, on your newsletters, etc. Also, blogs create a wonderful way to create a dialogue with your customers. With the right promotion and accessibility, blogs can provide a valuable barometer of how your company is doing in your customer's eyes.

Review your face-to-face, telephone, and office communications.

This one's the head scratcher for most people. What do these really have to do with customer communications? Let's go back to Mary. I bet if those call center scripts were a little better, she would have felt better about the whole experience. Some overlooked areas to review:

Company signage
How your telephone is answered: by your receptionist, call center, etc.
Your emails - automatic signatures, formatting, etc.

There are other examples of ways you communicate with your customers. Each company will have a list longer than the one here.

So what to do once you review?

Action Items:

Look for opportunities to quickly improve your communications by putting your customers first. Say thank you on your invoice, improve your web site customer service area, review telephone techniques with anyone answering the phone representing your company.

Think about what you are really trying to communicate to your customers and give them a chance to tell you about what they're thinking. Provide feedback mechanisms wherever you can. Create dialogues through blogs, surveys, and just calling customers to check in.

Once you get the ball rolling - don't stop. Be relentless in your customer-focused communications. Ask yourself, "What does the customer want in this situation? Can we address their needs better?"

A comprehensive communications program that caters to the customer will add credibility, generate positive customer perceptions, increase loyalty, and ensure the customer you are putting her interests first, and are connected with her at every touchpoint.

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Next: Listen to All Your Customers

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