I Get the Last Word

“We serve the best steak”

“We have the best service around”

How do I know? Because you said so. That used to be enough for me.

Advertising/marketing was a one-way street. You told me what you do –  you told me why you’re the best. As long as you told it to me often enough, and loud enough to drown out your competitors, that was enough to make it true. Even if it wasn’t.

Not so simple anymore my friends. You have the best service around? Then why did my friends on Facebook tell me it took twenty minutes before the waiter even looked in his direction? How come every critical comment that people post on your website gets removed within the hour?

You see, thanks to social media I know about you now. I know whether you mean what you say. I know if you are truly committed to making my experience better or if you take me for a sucker. This is accomplished by real communication. Talking with your customers and not talking at them. That means responding to criticisms with promises and deliverance of change. It means acknowledging complaints and improving. Showing you care.

If I’m talking about you, you better be listening because now I have the last word.