“Never invite a customer in, only to disappoint them.” – Leonard Rydell

Eighty years ago (or even twenty) inviting customers into a business was primarily advertising-driven; businesses were local and customers knew their shopkeepers. Businesses advertised in local newspapers, fliers, through interesting signage (think the famous Burma-Shave promotions), and in-store posters. Word of mouth played a part, but an individual’s sphere of influence was limited both in size and in geographic scope.

Interaction took place physically at the place of business, and was typically limited to two individuals - buyer and seller. When things went awry and unhappy customers emerged, damage control was done on an individual basis.

The expectation was, that advertised items would be in stock and there would be an adequate number of knowledgeable staff available to help customers. Phones were answered promptly and politely, questions were answered, and when it was time to commit to purchase, the customer would pay the advertised price.

Never invite the customer in, only to disappoint them. It’s pretty simple business.

In the digital age, the rules of interaction have changed. A growing amount of business is conducted without any interpersonal contact, and even major-ticket items may now be purchased online. The internet (and specifically Social Media) is the fastest, least expensive, most immediate, and potentially the most effective means of interacting with customers today.

The potential for great success exists, and with it, the potential for customer-service nightmares exist as well…

Earlier this month, I was enjoying a lunch of a brand-name prepare-in-the-microwave noodle product when I bit into something that made my teeth zing. I felt a tiny chip in the enamel on my front tooth, found the bit of glass that had come pre-packaged in the lunch. No larger than a peppercorn, it certainly is not enough to kill someone, yet not many enjoy the concept of ingesting glass.

I dug the wrappings from the trash and saved them, thinking the subsidiary of a major food company would want to know about the issue and investigate, then emailed the lot numbers to their online customer service email address. Two days later, I sent the same email to their larger parent company. Two more days later, I sent the email to the major brand name parent company. It’s now been a week and a half since I found glass in their product, yet no one from any of their companies has contacted me.

My sphere of influence here in Minnesota may not be huge, but after nearly two weeks of no response, I tweeted my small little group of global followers (a few over 1000) with the name of the product and my experience. I also posted it to my Facebook page, and encouraged my friends and Twitter followers to share my experience. Now, I’m sharing the experience with you.

I will not be contacting a lawyer, nor do I want free noodles rotting in my garage – I simply wanted acknowledgement that my issue had been noticed. Instead, what could have been resolved with a very simple apology and a promise to look into it so that no one else was eating Kung Pao Noodles-n-Glass, has been shared across the internet. A negative customer-service experience extending far beyond just co-workers and family was disseminated with the push of a single button.

The digital age has dramatically changed the way we conduct business. We shop online, buy from chain stores and if we choose to use the self-scan lane, we can avoid all human contact. Yet increasingly, when things are wonderful (or awful), we turn to our global network of friends, fans and followers to share our experiences.

What are customers finding when they visit your online place of business?
Do you have current blogs, specials and ‘news,’ or is it information several months old?
Do your links work and direct people to the correct page?
Is your contact information easily accessible and in multiple spots?
Are your customer service emails being answered within an hour?
Are you monitoring what’s being said about you and your competition on Twitter?

The internet is an open invitation to the 1.6Billion people on Earth with internet access. Set aside time each day to focus your 2010 marketing efforts to ensure that when you’re extending an online invitation, you’re not disappointing your guests.