Story time: I once stayed at a well-known hotel. There were a few things that could have gone differently and, being in marketing and research, I wanted to let them know. When I got home I took the time to find their customer service email and wrote a detailed letter about my experience. I figured I would get a form email saying something about how customers are important and my letter would be read. This came and shortly after another email arrived saying I had shared my thoughts with the wrong department. Really? They hid the right department from my simple online search? Then, the email explained I had to submit my thoughts to the right department, but didn’t explain what department was the right one, or how to reach it. I wrote back and asked how to reach the right department. No answer. Wow.

What started as a customer wanting to share turned into a disgruntled customer. I have yet to stay another night with this hotel and always tell others to avoid it. I am now a nightmare former customer. The worst part is all I wanted to do was share feedback.

So what?

According to Bain & Company, U.S. corporations lose, on average, half of their customers in five years. It’s a slow and quiet exodus that is costly to replenish. In addition, Cint found that 62% of people are more likely to purchase a specific brand if their opinion was sought by that brand. Considering these two important statistics, every brand should be highly motivated to retain and talk to their customers.

Consequently, make it easy for motivated customers to reach you. They could be few, but valuable. A dedicated phone line or email, even social media space can help. If in social media, and you should be, make sure to talk with customers, not just at them. If not in social media, consider that your customers are probably talking about you, without you. In addition, solicit feedback in ways that make the most sense for your brand.

The idea for sharing this story came from here.

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