As I type this post, our water is not working. This has happened before, so hearing the sounds of rattling pipes as the water pressure has been reduced to a drip is a common sound for any homeowner. As part of the troubleshooting process, I took it to Twitter as that remains my destination of choice for customer service issues, especially for utilities and retail. Whether it has been reporting a botched delivery, defective product or even a product inquiry, I just find it to be a better solution. At the same time, it’s an opportunity for the company to flex their customer service muscles as they use this platform to engage with the customer.
Case in point: Our water company (WaterOne) responded within a few minutes of posting my tweet. Their response was also a testament to how to handle customer inquiries during an outage or crisis, as they checked all of the key boxes. Here’s a screenshot of their response:
Let’s break this tweet down and highlight what they did right:
- Acknowledgement of my inquiry: Listening to the customer is probably the most important component to customer service.
- Empowerment in Action: Their reference to “customers are the first to let us know…” is powerful as it reinforces the importance of their customer base. It also has a communal vibe as anyone can be on the front lines to report an outage. In essence, customers are part of the collective solution.
- Value of Boots on the Ground: Customers love the boots-on-the-ground angle as the company works on the problem. That’s what we want to hear.
- Thank you: Such a simple and easy way to close out the engagement loop by thanking me for my patience as the problem is being worked on.
As I close this post, I can hear the sounds of water hitting the pipes and as promised, the water has been restored in my home. I hope the above case helps you in your efforts to improve the customer experience, especially in this digital age that calls for swift action and more importantly, good outcomes for the customer.
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