This was not the fault of the rep.  As company leaders we have broken systems. The bigger the company the more broken they are.  What I understood from the end of my chat was that there was no way for a customer to compliment them. The rep had no channel or tool outside of a boring survey to give to a happy customer.  With engagement being the currency of today’s business economy HP appeared bankrupt. Unlike the rep I know that they could have said the following:

Oh, that is great?  Yes we have a Facebook page located at http://www.facebook.com/HP or you can mention this on Twiiter. Our twitter account is https://twitter.com//hp.  We are just starting out on Google Plus but you can engage there as well.

Everyone is learning in this ever changing social space. Customer service reps are the front line heroes.  If you have the power give them some as well.  Hire employees you trust and give them flexibility to engage as well as the training to do it well.

get something done.  Here is an example of an ad that wastes my time and forces me to think about becoming a customer even though I already am one.  I am trying to use the site to find a new home, so every time I visit the site the ad plays …just as if I had never been there before.  How much of their multi millions marketing budget is spent on commercial ads, mailers and gimicky campaigns like this one that could instead be driven down to agents like mine.  I can think of many ways he would readily engage his community and customer base even more with that money.  But no, they continue to interrupt us instead of treating us like people.  If it was not for the heart and people behind my local version of State Farm I would quickly move on.

This summer I was on a short road trip with my family. We had just purchased a car for my wife and were enjoying our first trip. About two hours into our journey we started to hear a vibration noise. Sure enough as we pulled into a rest area another traveler alerted to something dragging under the front of the vehicle. A close inspection revealed that the noise plate screws under the engine had loosened, causing it to drag. While it was not a dangerous situation we still wanted to make sure we could get it fixed before we continued. I decided to drive another 15 miles to the nearest town, since there was no clearance under the vehicle for me to fix it myself.

Call it conditioning or just good marketing, I first thought of the tire sales and service chain Les Schwab. For as long as I can remember they have been known for running out to meet you with a helpful mindset. If they could not fix your roadside issue they would quickly call someone to arrange a solution. Never would they leave you in a bind. They have always been known for their yes, at least they used to be.

As we pulled into the parking lot I knew we were in for a different experience. No one ran out to great us.  Walking into the lobby I got a obligatory look from the woman tending the counter.  As I began to explain my problem the manager standing near by over heard and simply told me there was nothing they could do.  He explained they were too busy and didn’t have the right tools.  He even told me they had no duct tape.  I then gave him another chance and asked if he knew of a shop he could refer. Again he said “no”.  I have heard their service had gone down hill but this was pretty bad.

From where I stood I could see an auto service shop across the street. Knowing I was not going to have help at Les Schwab I decided to give the other business a try.  The shop appeared to be busy as well but the service employee outside said he thought they could help. Going inside I again explained my problem. They were indeed busy and had no one handy to help.  What was great though was the owner handed me a roll of duct tape and said I was welcome to use the parking lot.  As I walked back out to the car the customer service woman ran out and motioned for me to drive around back.  As I pulled around to the back of the shop she guided me to the car lift where I could prop the front up enough to work on the plate.  The car easily now had enough room to secure the plate.  They had succeeded in helping us get back on the road.  It all came down to a simple “yes, we can help”.

I don’t care what your business is, no should be a last resort.  People ask our business all the time for services we don’t offer.  We always direct them to someone who can help.  The simple act of loaning me duct tape guaranteed I will always remember them. I have already told many about their act of kindness. I have spent thousands of dollars at Les Schwab and none at Kelly’s Auto Service. To them it didn’t matter, they just said yes.

Not wanting to overwhelm, I decided to keep the first steps really simple.  So I shared these three principles: Listen first, engage, and most of all promote others.  Yes,  it is much more complex than that.  What I see too often is communications made too complex.   So here is how I broke those three down for her.

Listen:  Gather all the interested parties that exist in your business world (customers, collaborator/partners, vendors, champions, friends and colleagues. Never discount anyone as the contact database and scope is developed.  It is hard to gauge who will be a valuable contact. Sometimes the most unlikely ones will be the best.  Hangout where the community gathers, both on and off line.  Really learn about the community before you jump in.  Use tools like Rapportive to gather all the outposts they use.

Engage: Once you have a feel for the community, begin to engage and add value. Be sincere and open.  Don’t be afraid to take risks.  Some things will work and other won’t.  Only trying will tell.  Don’t assume that a tool like twitter is the one to use.  Fill the toolbox with what the community already uses.  Most of all give them a place to gather; preferably your home base (like a blog) where the attention gained can easily be guided to the things you want to offer.

Promote Others: Luckily this principle is a staple in the event business.  Other than just being a good practice because it is the right thing to do, you will become known for someone of value, someone to be connected to.

Please add more since this is an ongoing conversation.  I am so excited to see where she goes with it.

I remember thinking to myself as I began to chase the guy down “what the heck am I doing”. I realize I really didn’t care if he thought I was nut. I was so excited this guys was walking around with our brand on him. I was going to do anything to make sure he knew we appreciated it.

That is what makes the difference today. Every fan, customer and community member matters. They have a voice and they hold the keys to you getting your name known. So when they wear your t-shirt, give you a shout out or blog about you, chase them down and make sure they know you saw you appreciate what they do. It doesn’t cost a thing and it goes a long way to further enchantment.

Here are a few examples of brands that listened this week.

A friend asked about the best Microsoft Office document app for the iPad. We had a conversation on twitter and Quick Office chimed in with a thank you.

I have a twitter list I use to promote Authors who are engaged on line. Using Paper.li the list sends out a note about the top posts from that list. Several Authors say thanks. Two of which are Ted Coine and Laurie King through her famous character from her Beekeepers Apprentice Novels Mary Russell, Sherlock Holmes’ young assistant.

These gestures are worth more than prizes and they can never be bought.

Back then when I worked in several of the stores, we had many odd returns. Once a guy brought in a pair of old boots including mud and grass. They barely had any sole left. We asked him what the problem was. He replied “they hurt my feet”. These boots looked as if he had walked the entire Pacific Crest Trail from Mexico to Canada 4 times. We politely put the boots behind the counter and gave him a different size. Did it make sense to the employees doing the transaction? No. In fact it seemed insane. But he was only a small percentage of the customers that would take advantage of our policy. Our manager was quick to point out to us that for every odd return like that, we had several customers that just had honest guarantee requests. Every time we acted out the policy we gained many more loyal customers just because we honored it.

Turning a normal customer care call into a friendly exchange, leaves them happy. It works. I experience it every time I call Godaddy. I walked in to Chipolte because nothing else was open. I walked out a fan because both employees at the counter were genuinely friendly, helpful and excited that we trying the store for the first time. Nordstrom got me to spend more money this weekend because they went out of their way to run all over the store to outfit my wife. These may seem like small acts but if they become the way we do business on a regular basis then we will have a greater chance to succeed in the long run. Will it pay of in the short term? Probably not. Quality takes time. I’d rather see slow built strong and quality businesses any day than ones focused on how to make a quick profit over offering quality, connection and experience. If we don’t we are left with businesses (read what Chris found for more) none of us want to be a part of.

Hire guides, consultants and mentors. Ask them to teach you how to use the tools and find your voice. Take writing classes. Follow others you enjoy reading. Take a video class. Take some risks and hire people who are just as passionate as you are. But don’t let someone else tell you story or handle your content.

During my early twenties I was a stock manager for a clothing company. My stockroom staff were both trained in shipping/receiving as well as excellent sales people. Often when a new hire started, it was hard for them to understand that their highest priority was on the salesroom floor.  If customers were around they needed to be engaged in conversation and making sure their needs were being met.  The stock room could wait.

The salesroom floor where we greeted every customer with a welcoming smile and helpful attitude was called the front line. I enjoyed working with the best of these stockroom employees because while they were helping customers they were also constantly checking to see if tables needed to be restocked or stacks straightened. They were also the first ones to know if sizes could be found at the request of a customer.

They had time to both do the work behind the scenes and still engage with customers. So do you.  There is no shortage of tools to keep us connected with  customers and plenty of resources available to teach you how to use them efficiently.  Besides if you are passionate about what you do you will never tire from talking about it and in the process you will be building a tribe of sneezers, those they can help but tell all their friends about your gadget, book, window cleaning or cupcakes.