What Impact Does Customer Service have on your Company’s Issues Management?

I was recently asked to give a guest lecture on customer service for a class at the Université de Montréal. Does this strike you as odd? I mean, what does customer service have to do with crisis management?

The truth is that your organization’s customer service representatives play a big role within your brand’s issues management.

Today’s customer service happens primarily online. Social media is where your customers and clients go to:

• Share their stories and experiences with and about your organization
• Voice their complaints
• Praise their favorite brands
• Ask questions
• Seek guidance and help

As your customer service is your frontline, they’re the ones who develop a relationship with your clients, followers, fans and market. It is their responsibility to:

• Know when to respond and take-part in online conversations
• Focus on building real and lasting relationships with fans and followers
• Answer questions
• Provide guidance and assistance
• Understand how to spot potential issues and respond before they have the chance to escalate into crises

As your customer service represents your clients’ first-hand experience with your brand, their role is extremely important – especially since every communication and experience is made so public these days on social. This impacts:

• Your brand’s reputation
• The relationship your brand shares with each and every customer, fan and follower
• Your organization’s issues management

This is a big responsibility that falls upon the shoulders of your frontline. It’s a responsibility that they need to be ready for if they’re going to be able to detect issues that need a response, and if they’re going to be able to meet the very demanding expectations of your market and audiences. These expectations include:

• Real-time communications and responses
• Two-way communications
• Sincerity, compassion and patience
• To communicate with a person
• To be listened to and acknowledged
• To be provided with solutions to their problems

Not only does meeting those expectations allow your team to be seen as a customer service pro, but it allows your team to prevent and manage many issues that would have otherwise had the opportunity to develop and potentially (and very quickly) spiral out of control.

We’ve seen organizations fail at their customer service and, as a result, crises such as United Breaks Guitars were self-inflicted.

Your frontline has a huge responsibility when it comes to your organization’s issues management. Are they ready?

Get your frontline ready by putting them through an issue management training. This training can include a crisis simulation to help your team learn important lessons and gain needed experience first hand. If any of this sounds interesting to you, contact me directly.