Going Beyond The Sale

When was the last time you dealt with a company online versus offline? CRM takes on a much more expanded face when on a social network. The fact is that with much more of the online population becoming users of Twitter and Facebook, we as consumers seek to use new methods and means of contact for the services or products that we use.

I have mentioned my use of Twitter for airlines or even when I have issues with my AT&T service(@ATTCustomerCare)or Bank of America(@BofA_help). In reality these are my first forms of outreach over calling or emailing a concern to their customer service department.

But, why do I reach out online first?

I choose to use Twitter primarily for customer service issues because these online presences recognize how quickly a bad situation can spread. All it takes is for someone else with a similar problem to ReTweet or acknowledge the concern and reply to it. These online entities tend to recognize social users much quicker and effectively, often giving better solutions, than if you were to rely on “old” forms of communications for customer service.

These online entities go beyond the sale of their initial product or service to give you a much better experience and bring you back to use them again and again. The increasing uses of social media for CRM is one that pushes these companies to adjust their policies and learn to truly give back to the clients investment with enhanced service and quality.

Here’s where I really want to give a shout-out to the BlueSkyFactory team and DJ Waldow (@DJWaldow) for really hitting up the opportunity and push their marketing to a phenomenal level.

I downloaded a BSF eBook (Ultimate Guide to Email) a while back, and like other online businesses filled out a contact sheet prior to the download; I didn’t think much would be done with this. Then, a few weeks later I received an email from DJ asking me if we could talk about BSF’s email marketing and how it it could fit in with what I do.

The problem here was unfortunately as a currently unemployed student (still overseas) I don’t have a use for email marketing. I told DJ this, and I messaged him on Twitter for “being a waste of his time and effort.” On the offhand though, that was because I didn’t have an immediate need to use email marketing.

The simple fact that BlueSkyFactory took the time to sit down, email me, and engage me makes me for when someone asks me about a preferred email marketing service, my first idea is going to be them, BSF. I understand that they are engaging seeking more clients and more users of their system looking for the sale and the revenue. But it was the attitude behind DJ’s actions and words both through email and Twitter that builds my trust and makes me want to choose them over another competitor.

The second implication I took from the actions taken is that when I do need email marketing, I will expect the same quickness and efficiency I found through them before purchasing anything as I should have after I begin to use their service. If not even better.

These kind of relationships are the ones that define inbound marketing and customer service relationships outside of just making money and increasing sales. They define the entity of the business, their trust, and the kind of relationship you should anticipate from a modern company. Imagine having your neighborhood mom & pop customer service from every company you deal with today.

What do you think? Do you have any recommendations or how CRM is changing with the online world?

Image by Piers Mason