Disarming the Revolutionaries in your Customer Ranks

For those of us concerned about taking excellent care of our customers and building customer loyalty, it is alarming to think that, despite sincere efforts, it is possible to be blindsided by a customer revolt…especially with the advent of social media.

No doubt, Netflix felt they were doing everything right when they announced a price increase in 2011. Then the axe fell. Customers revolted, canceled their subscriptions and complained so loudly on social media that it was reflected on Wall Street with an almost 50% decrease in stock price.

Here are three tips on how to avoid such a disaster:

1. Know your customers. Listen to what they are saying on social media. Be committed to responding to what you hear and what you learn.
   
   
2. Understand your customers. If there is an issue, be sure to understand what is making your customers unhappy. Then provide other solutions or explain why you are making a change…in other words, be clear about the value you bring. Just be sure that you don’t make it harder for your customers to do business with you.
   
   
3. Involve your customers. Prepare for any major changes in the product or service you deliver. Some recommend involving customers in key decisions but, at the least, devise a social media strategy to communicate the change and be ready to gather and respond to feedback.