It’s about the customer, stupid.
Perhaps we all need a little reminder about that from time to time. I know I did, and now I’m going to share it with you.
Most of what I think about, eat, drink, sleep and breathe these days is marketing through social mediums, whether it’s blogs, Facebook, Foursquare or one of the other myriad of options that’s currently available or continually cropping up. The metaphor that’s become standard to my shtick is that social isn’t anything new. It’s just like a Tupperware party or a book club. Connections are made, information is shared and in a gentle, relationship-based way, promotion can also take place. All of these social mediums give businesses the ability to stay in closer touch with customers, resolve issues quicker and provide a personal touch in a way that brings you new and return business. That message is one that I got hammered into my head during the last month of travel that I did for work, in a good way.
I have experienced enough canned speakers and consultants on the circuit—doing keynotes at tradeshows and getting moments of fame and fandom by taking center stage at conventions and conferences from coast to coast—that I just don’t fall for them anymore. Being a cynical consumer, I have an exceedingly low threshold for cheese, late night infomercials, Suze Orman and other nails on a chalkboard type experiences. However, in the past two months, I’ve sat at keynotes that hit me right smack dab in the middle of my jaded brain and shriveled up marketer’s heart, and both became mini-dramatizations of why I need to shed my hardened persona and to remember that the customers that we all spend our days trying to get to friend, fan, follow, check in and insert their butts into our seats want to be acknowledged, respected and leveled with.
The first person to refresh that message for me was Andrew Mason, the CEO of Groupon, the online, group-buying coupon company, who was a keynote at the Word of Mouth Marketing Association Conference in Chicago. He ambled up onto the stage wearing cargo shorts and a forest green tee and looking like one of the shaggy creatives that I work with. It became obvious that there was no artifice, just intelligence and sincerity blended with just the right amount of self-deprecating humor and above all, honesty. The honesty part is how this all ties back into things that are relevant for you. He talked a great deal about customer service—providing a front and center way to connect with Groupon directly if you have a problem, having a no ifs, ands or buts-style guarantee. (The Groupon Promise, which states that if you’re not happy with the experience, they will refund your money even if you have used the coupon. While it begets great customer confidence and cred, it’s very rarely redeemed.) He also talked passionately about the power of an “I’m sorry” and how Groupon isn’t afraid to use it. Many other examples within the company bolster these two, and all of them put the end customer at the center of the business.
The second speaker that I saw is one that I didn’t know that I’d fall so hard for. His name is Mark Scharenbroich (he says Shake and Bake and unless I look it up, I’ll never remember it any other way). He’s a Minnesota-based keynote speaker and humorist who I suspect has theater in his background, because his message is delivered with no small amount of performance. I saw Scharenbroich at a national franchisee convention in a room chock-a-block with small business owners who have a very vested interest in how things impact their bottom line.
His message is simple: you need to acknowledge people, honor them and make a connection. It’s simple really and goes back to an oft-repeated mantra of mine: everything I need to know, I learned waiting tables (with proper homage paid to Robert Fulghum of course). You would never ignore a table, not meet their needs and send them out the door feeling like they could have eaten anywhere up or down the street, would you? Of course not. You want to create a space where a customer feels like a regular or at the very least a welcomed guest. You want to share your favorite items, make them comfortable, tell them a little bit about the history of the place and what makes it special, validate that they’re making the right choices about spending their money (now so, more than ever before).
How does good customer service, making promises, saying I’m sorry, making a connection, and honoring and acknowledging your guests relate to social? You can do all of these things in those environments in spades. Want an example? Go take a look at the Minneapolis restaurant Birchwood Café’s Facebook page. I think you’ll see immediately what I’m talking about.
Writer and food fanatic Rebecca Lunna works as a management supervisor at Periscope, the Twin Cities largest independent marketing agency, with clients in various industries, including restaurant and foodservice. Lunna was a contributing writer to Mpls./St. Paul magazine’s food and dining section for several years, and still waxes nostalgic for her days as a server at various restaurants across the Twin Cities. Contact her at rlunna@comcast.net.
