You should never be a roadblock. Give customers a clear path. Just being there isn’t enough. Communication has to go both ways. You now have access to incredible feedback you used to have to pay a lot of money for. Lead customers to where they need to be, and listen to what they have to say.

(if you missed it, see Rule #2: Address The Need)

• A Following = an audience that interacts with you
• A Community = an audience that interacts with each other

I see people confuse the two often (and I’ll admit I’ve been guilty of it myself.)  Rich says “organizations that sell sociable and highly engaging products/services” are suitable for community.  There are benefits to each approach and significant pitfalls from pursuing the an approach that’s not appropriate for your audience.

Does your audience want to know about your products or about each other?

Here’s how I currently try to track everything:

Address Book (2,000+ entries)

My address book is an extension of my brian.  I’ve been using it for keeping track of people I’ve met for years now.  It’s currently a Microsoft Exchange address book that I access from Apple Address Book, BlackBerry, and sometimes Outlook.  For every person I add, I go into “digital stalker” mode and dig for information about them from their online accounts, contact info, family, pets, twitter accounts, blogs, etc.  I also add notes on where I met them — because I know I’ll ultimately forget.

Evernote (8,000+ notes)

I take notes.  Notes on meetings, phone calls, ideas, etc.  I’ve accumulated over 8,000 notes over the years that I track in Evernote.  I even email voicemails into my Evernote to archive.

It’s a great platform and I love that my notes sync to their servers — there’ve been a few times now where laptop failures have required me to rebuild my system.  Each time I’ve only had to install Evernote, log in to my account, and it automatically downloaded all my notes.  Well worth the small monthly subscription.

GMail (5+ GB work, 5+ GB personal)

I’m a bit of digital communications packrat, GMail has become a close friend over the years.  I archive all my mail there (since 2004).  I can quickly search to find emails by topic or person.  You’d be amazed how much it comes in handy.

In my ideal solution, I’d no longer have to go to multiple sources to find my data.  I can’t exactly pull out my laptop, connect to wifi, and lookup notes from all these sources when I encounter someone I know at an event.  I want to be able to do the following from my computer, and preferably my BlackBerry (sorry, no iPhone, AT&T’s network doesn’t cover where I live), in order of priority:

• Immediate and easy access to my contact information and core information about each
• Quick access to their most recent contributions online, making a distinction between things they publish and those they just shared/liked/favorited
• Quick access to my communication history with each contact, across all mediums like email, twitter, phone call notes, FaceBook, LinkedIn, etc.
• The ability to quickly tag when I’ve seen people (esp. at an event) and add notes about our conversation
• Mine my data to find more connections *among* the people I know
• Distinguish between my “work”, “personal projects”, “friends/family” connections — assuming some may overlap.
• Be able to share contacts/groups of contacts with others in my account.
• Possibly share a subset of my information with a work CRM like SalesForce.

I think what I want would be the love child of something like BatchBook and Silentale.

+

=  ?

I am one person managing my connections, but some are work professional, some are personal professional, and some are just good friends.  Having to switch systems for each category kills the productivity.  At some point I may want to share some of this data with others – or maybe a CRM like SalesForce, but I’m looking for something that will help me to really manage my personal/professional connections, for me.  Isn’t the social web, in part, all about the blending of personal/professional?

Is my dream social CRM already out there just waiting to ask me to to the Sadie Hawkins dance?

-k

Everyone needs something.  We listen, we may even understand what we’re being asked — but it that what they really need?  If you’re engaging online, make sure you’re actually addressing the need.

I’ve been thinking about this a lot recently after a discussion with a support rep.  A customer on Twitter asked if the upload timeout could be increased.  The rep very diligently found the answer to her question — “Unfortunately, no.”  I asked the rep why the customer was asking for this.  A little investigation showed that the customer was trying to upload a file and it was failing.  Was file size the issue?  No, it wasn’t.  So she really didn’t need someone to increase the timeout, she needed someone to figure out why the upload was failing for her.  Armed with that, the rep was able to work on addressing what the customer needed, not just what she asked for.

(if you missed it, see Rule #1: Be Real)

The world is full of bots (both human and digital.)  Your customers are people, it’s ok to be a person t00.

• Be a face, not a name (or logo)
• Don’t just broadcast, have a conversation
• Be open and honest
• Be Yourself!

I was never a fan of paying to join member rewards programs, but last year I talked myself into buying the Starbucks Gold card.  By swiping the card at the register with each purchase, I’d get 10% off.  We even bought two for the family.  I’ve always viewed it as a psychological benefit – every time I made a purchase I would see the amount I had to pay go down.  It would make me feel like I was saving money and that made my daily stops ok.

Then Starbucks introduced their new My Starbucks Rewards program.  They took away paid memberships, instead offering a program where if you keep a balance on your card and pay with it each time, you can earn a free drink after 15 purchases.  There are other benefits like free syrups and soy milk, but those don’t really interest me since I get the same drink every time and don’t need them.

There’s been a lot of confusion around the new program.  I’ve even had some store managers tell me

that I can use the new card without maintaining a balance (similar to the old program.)  I’ve tested and this isn’t the case, either you pay with the card or you get nothing.  So I took a look at their FAQ to try and understand why they made these changes and what it really means.

Why is the program changing?

• Be free at all levels – with no membership fee, it enables more customers to participate.
• Be one simple program that is easy to understand and use.
• Provide tiered rewards – once you achieve Gold level, you will still continue to enjoy the benefits offered at the Welcome and Green levels.
• Recognize and reward our best customers based on frequent, personalized rewards including free drinks.

I read this as, we’re taking away the good high end benefits so we can reach more customers.  You now earn stars for each transaction, not the amount spent or even number of items purchased.  Once you earn enough points for a free drink you are sent a postcard in the mail that you need to bring to the store to claim your free drink.

Why do I have to pay with my Starbucks Card to participate in the program?
The program is designed to reward our many customers who use and pay with a Starbucks Card.

Even their FAQ doesn’t actually give a reason why you have to pay using a Starbucks Card.  Unfortunately they haven’t convinced me there’s enough benefit to bank my money with my new Starbucks-only debit card, earning no interest (which is what I’d be doing by carrying a balance.)  I’d be earning a free drink for every 15 purchases — only a 0.06% return if I’m just buying one beverage each time, even less if I stop to pickup a bag of coffee.

I’m convinced the program changes benefit Starbucks more than the customer.  It’s unfortunate they took a program that had a very clear benefit for loyal customers who actually paid to join (the 10% off applied to buying coffee beans as well) and replaced it with something apparently designed to save money for the company.  Loyal customers who spent money to be members in the old program are now freely enrolled in a program that offers very little.

There’s been a lot of positive communications sent to me from Starbucks about this change, unfortunately bright colored emails and postcards aren’t going to make me forget that I just lost my 10% off benefit. And it seems I’m not the only one with these feelings:

• New Starbucks Gold Card Sucks! (on Starbucks Facebook page)
• New Gold Card – No 10% (on Starbucks Facebook page)
• Starbucks Revolt
• Starbucks Gold Card Fault
• Don’t kill the 10% discount Gold Card.

From what I’ve seen, Starbucks has chosen to not respond to their upset customers.

I have my new card, but no plans to use it.  Instead of sitting in a prime spot in my wallet like the old card, it’s gathering dust on a counter at home.

That message made sense to me, but I made the mistake of clicking “Learn more“.  It put me on a 7 section, 30 question FAQ.  I went for the “Liking” a Page section, hoping I was in the right place.

Why did “Become a Fan” change to “Like”?

To improve your experience and promote consistency across the site, we’ve changed the language for Pages from “Fan” to “Like.” We believe this change offers you a more light-weight and standard way to connect with people, things and topics in which you are interested.

Ok, this made sense too.  I can “Like” something and not necessarily be a “Fan” of it.

What does it mean to “Like” a Page?

When you click “Like” on a Page, you are making a connection to that Page. The Page will be displayed in your profile, and in turn, you will be displayed on the Page as a person who likes that Page. The Page will also be able to post content into your News Feed.

Ok, I think I’m following.  You’re now going to treat Pages like any other item in someone’s feed, but not really.  They can Like it, but that still means they’re a Fan and the Page can post content to their feed.

Can I still “Like” a News Feed story about my friends Liking Pages?

No. When you see a Feed story about a friend Liking a Page, there will be no feedback links below that story. However, if you hover over the Page name, you will see a small preview of the Page and the number of other people who have also Liked that Page. You can then Like that Page to add it to your profile, or you can click through to the Page itself.

So I can Like a Page, but I can no longer Like that someone joined a page, I can only Like it myself.  So if my friend joins a group called, let’s say, “Luddites for Social Media”, the only thing I can do to show my support is to Like the Page myself, even if I just want to encourage my friend? I guess so.  I hope the cause is worth it.

Is there a difference between “Liking” an item a friend posts and “Liking” a Page?

Yes. Liking a Page means you are connecting to that Page. When you connect to a Page, it will appear in your profile and you will appear on the Page as a person who likes that Page. The Page will also be able to post content into your News Feed.

On the other hand, when you click “Like” on a piece of content that a friend posts, you are simply letting your friend know that you like it without leaving a comment.

So to make this feel more lightweight and to encourage more connections across the site, you’re adding a new meaning to the word “Like”?  I guess this may encourage more Page connections as people are getting used to clicking Like on feed items.  Though I think it will create confusion.

I have to say I’m not a Fan of the change.  Can we add a “Don’t Like”?

-k

It’s important to be there since the conversations are already happening, but have you integrated that work into your overall strategy?  I was on a call Friday with a PR firm talking about social media strategy.  When I think about what many of us often do (and yes, I’m including myself in this), I can’t help but think of a children’s soccer game.

We may have passion and focus, but we’re usually just chasing the ball.

Many of us get so caught up in the tactical execution, we forget to look at the overall strategy.  Two great posts to get you thinking about this more are Leslie Poston on Social Media Curves and Shannon Paul on The Missing Ingredient in Most Social Media Strategies.   Leslie discuses working from front end goals to setting “appropriate expectations” on the back end.  Shannon gets to the heart of the biggest problem, that most social media strategies are missing “actual strategy.”

We’re often substituting tactics for strategy.  One of the questions I discussed with the PR team on my call is “what are we trying to get out of this social media engagement?”  Shannon offers five “Steps to Defining the Strategy in Your Social Media Strategy” in The Missing Ingredient in Most Social Media Strategies:

Kevin > I just found out my Comcast email address is KMICALIZZI_658@comcast.net. I was originally an adelphia subscriber, how do I get a password assigned?

Beth > Hello Kevin_, Thank you for contacting Comcast Live Chat Support. My name is Beth. Please give me one moment to review your information.

Beth > I am glad to have you on chat. I hope you are having a wonderful day, Kevin.

Kevin_ > thanks Beth!

Beth > You are welcome, Kevin.

Beth > I understand how frustrating this is for you not to be able to have your password. No worries, you have reached the right person to help you out. Your concern is my topmost priority for today.

Beth > I will be more than happy to assist you. Rest assured that at the end of this conversation, I will be able to provide you with your password, Kevin.

Beth > Are you still there, Kevin?

Kevin_ > I am

Kevin_ > I’m waiting for you

Beth > Before anything else, as a valuable customer of Comcast, we give importance to your privacy by ensuring the integrity of your account information. In order to do so, can you please provide me the following:

a. Full name of the Account Holder

b. Complete address

c. Comcast account number

Kevin_ > Kevin Micalizzi

Kevin_ > ******************

Kevin_ > ***************

Kevin_ > let me go grab a bill to get you the account number

Beth > Okay, Kevin. I can wait for you. Thank you.

Kevin_ > 8*** ** *** *****40

Beth > Thank you for the information.

Beth > While pulling up your account, how’s your day so far?

Kevin_ > it’s ok

Beth > That is good to hear, Kevin.

Beth > By the way, Kevin, are you a big movie and TV fan? Comcast now has the best free online streaming and extensive video collection of television shows, movies, trailers and clips online. For you to experience this great entertainment site please visit http://www.fancast.com/. Please check it out sometimes.

Kevin_ > That’s what I was checking out when I realized I needed my comcast email and password.

Kevin_ > I didn’t know I had this email address, I originally had Adelphia cable, which was bought by Comcast.

Kevin_ >

Beth > I see. That is great, kevin! I hope you will enjoy the site.

Beth > Going back to your concern, do you have a pen and paper handy with you? I will be providing you with your password. Please let me know if you are ready, Kevin.

Kevin_ > I’m ready

Beth > Thank you, Kevin.

Beth > password……………..wildlost

Kevin_ > ok, thanks!

Beth > Please take time answering the survey after our interaction. We greatly value your feedback for us to improve more on our service. You can do this by clicking on the “END SESSION” button and please don’t forget to click on submit.

Beth > Thank you for bringing Comcast to your home! Again, this is Beth. We appreciate your business and value you as a customer. Our goal is to provide you with excellent service. If you need further assistance, you can always reach us through chat 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

Beth > Analyst has closed chat and left the room

I understand how frustrating this is for you not to be able to have your password. No worries, you have reached the right person to help you out.  Your concern is my topmost priority for today

This part was awkward.  I would have opted for, “I understand how frustrating it can be to not have your password.  No worries, I can help you.”   Ditch the “Your concern is my topmost priority for today.”  We both know it’s not true.  I’m on the chat, I feel like I have someone who can help me, it’s not the time to make promises you don’t mean.  There were several pauses during the chat, which left me with the feeling this rep was helping others at the same time.  That’s fine, but it undermines the rep’s credibility to say my issue is their “topmost priority for today.”

I will be more than happy to assist you. Rest assured that at the end of this conversation, I will be able to provide you with your password, Kevin.

This part was probably not necessary at all.  The rep had just said they can help, it would have been better to move on to the account information needed to get the password reset done.  This part was also followed by a long pause, then “Are you still there, Kevin?”   I wasn’t really asked a question, so I assumed the rep was doing something on their end.  I was just waiting for the rep to tell me what comes next.  From calling into support organizations in the past, I was expecting to be asked for my account information.

While pulling up your account, how’s your day so far?

I was surprised by the question.  It seemed very personal.  Maybe it was just because communicating via chat removes all nonverbal cues, but I really wasn’t about to tell the rep about my day, good or bad.  It might have been better to say “Let me pull up your account information.  I hope your day is going well.”

By the way, Kevin, are you a big movie and TV fan? Comcast now has the best free online streaming and extensive video collection of television shows, movies, trailers and clips online. For you to experience this great entertainment site please visit http://www.fancast.com/. Please check it out sometimes.

It’s great Comcast is taking the opportunity to let people know about additional services. Personally if I had written this, I would have broken each sentences onto a separate line and ask the rep to send each with a brief pause in between.  Suddenly getting this much text interrupts the flow of the conversation and makes me feel like an ad just popped up.  Also, I would have ended with “Please check it out sometime.”

Going back to your concern, do you have a pen and paper handy with you? I will be providing you with your password. Please let me know if you are ready, Kevin.

This part actually made me laugh.  I don’t think I’m some super-tech-genius, but if I’m already at the keyboard chatting, I’m guessing I don’t need to run for pen and  paper.  We probably could have skipped this part too and gone directly to the new password.

Please take time answering the survey after our interaction. We greatly value your feedback for us to improve more on our service. You can do this by clicking on the “END SESSION” button and please don’t forget to click on submit.

The last few chat messages, starting with this one surprised me.  They appeared in my transcript, but must have been sent after I clicked END SESSION.  I would have said “Please take a minute to answer the survey you’ll see after our chat.” and “We greatly value your feedback to help us continue improving our service.” After the rep gave the password, I said “thanks” and expected some kind of closing message or something like “have I answered all your questions?”  I was excited to get going with my new password so when I didn’t hear anything for about a minute, I ended just the session.

Again, my goal here is not to criticize the level of support Comcast provided.  While experience could have been smoother, the rep handled my issue is less time than it probably would have taken to call in, get through the phone system, explain the problem to someone, and get it resolved.

From the tone of the rep’s language in the parts I’m guessing were spontaneous, I would assume there was some level of cultural difference.  The language sounded more formal than I’d expected.  There didn’t seem to be any difficulty communicating about the issue, just that the responses didn’t read as well as they probably could have.

The only  thing that actually annoyed me was that the rep used my name 11 times in our very brief exchange.  It was way too much.  If someone had done that in conversation, I would have assumed they were afraid they wouldn’t remember my name and were repeating it at every opportunity to memorize it.  In this case, there is a written transcript, so the chances of forgetting are very slim.  Yes, the sweetest thing is hearing the sound of your name, just not too much.

I have a few takeaways from the exchange:

1. Always read your scripts/message text out loud.  Does it sound natural?  If doesn’t, rewrite it.
2. No matter how well you script the exchange, some level of actual conversation is required.  It’s not possible to script every word someone would say in a conversation.  Train your reps well, periodically check for language, and continue coaching the reps to help them get even beter.

This has been a good reminder for me that I need to add my team’s demos to my calendar and join them more often to ensure the scripted parts are still relevant and to look for more coaching opportunities in the spontaneous conversations.  (If you’re interested, the team conducts Dimdim web conferencing demos every weekday.  If you jump into one, please take a minute to let me know what you think!)

-k

I’d love to know how you feel on this.  Is it ok?  If yes, when? Feel free to comment below, send me a tweet (@kevinmic), or email me directly.

Thanks!

-k