My mentor once told me, “Running a business would be so much
easier if we didn’t have to deal with customers and employees.”
While I can empathize with the statement, it is not realistic.
Since your business will always have customers, statistically
speaking, a subset of those customers will be unhappy. That
reality drives the need to develop a comprehensive ORM
strategy. In this article, we’ve outlined seven practices for
companies interested in developing an ORM program that
protects and enhances brands online.
1. Delight Customers
As a marketer specializing in search engine marketing, the big
question is how a small business can most effectively manage
its reputation online. The initial response is always, “Simple,
just create the best product or service and back it up with
exceptional customer service and the rest will fall into place.”
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Unfortunately, most companies do not have the ability or
interest in consistently creating world-class experiences, so they
have to resort to a defensive online reputation management
(ORM) strategy. That doesn’t mean companies large and small
shouldn’t do their best to create positive experiences at every
touchpoint.
2. Provide Training
You can’t over-train employees, especially customer service
representatives (CSRs), to provide a compelling experience
which increases the likelihood customers will write positive
reviews. Take a lesson from Zappos and empower CSRs other
employees with autonomy and budget to delight customers
with gifts and make-goods. Train staff specifically to identify
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