Every Interaction Matters

Gary Vaynerchuk, author of The Thank You Economy (image from matthewmay.com)

I have been reading The Thank You Economy by Gary Vaynerchuk (Amazon Affiliate Link) and have found it to be incredibly thought provoking. The book is filled with real life examples of how all of the technology that allows us to connect globally, may actually require that our behavior returns to the pre-automotive industry days. I’m not sure if the book has raised my awareness of such behaviors and that is the reason I am noticing more customer friendly behaviors, but I will tell you that I definitely have noticed some real life examples of businesses treating customers as if the business wants them to return. Here are some examples of face to face situations and how they happened to find their way to the Internet.

Sir, Your Car is Ready

My brother-in-law is a service manager for a local auto dealer, Rallye Lexus of Glen Cove. We have had numerous conversations about customer service as I know this is a core function of his job and with him being in the auto service industry for 20 years he has taken great pride in the experience he provides his customers. I was blown away when he told me of the approach his dealership took for those clients that put their car in for service and choose to wait on the premises for it to be complete. Rallye went out and bought some iPads that their clients have access to while waiting in what is already a pretty comfortable lounge. As is common I’m sure in many auto service departments across the country, they have a high def TV a coffee station and plenty of reading materials. The access to iPads really has been a hit, so much so that it is not uncommon for the service managers to see disappointed looks on the clients face that it is time to go. I see so much opportunity for Rallye to share their culture through social channels and build interactions for all to witness on sites like Facebook. 

Social Media: What is holding some folks back?

It’s amazing when I see Facebook and Twitter gaining in popularity, seemingly by the day that I continue to run into people that are reluctant to engage in social channels. When I ask what is holding them back, I get the typical response like “that’s for teenagers”, “I hear too many horror stories”, or as my mom would say “that’s like Webkinz for adults”! Ultimately it is up to the individual to find reasons to join a social channel or not, let me take a shot at some useful reasons people should consider.

Let’s Stay Connected

I notice in my inner circle that some folks I would least expect to show up on Facebook are all of a sudden looking to connect. Many of them have apparently joined to stay in touch with grandchildren that have gone away to college or are in search of former classmates or business associates. I actually believe that my Mom will eventually join Facebook when grandson number one goes off to college. Once these new users learn the landscape, they find other value within these channels like joining groups or fan pages to get opinions and feedback from like minded peers. Social Media also provides us with the chance to engage and connect without the need for mutually agreed upon times and/or venues. In many cases, information and people that we may be looking for actually end up finding us.