If you’ve ever lived in New York City or you’re a fan of the Big Apple, you can never forget the impact that Mayor Ed Koch had back in the late ‘70s and throughout most of the ‘80s.
Koch became mayor during a tumultuous time for the city, and clearly turned its fortunes around. And he became known as a city official who genuinely cared about his constituents, personally riding the subway and standing around greeting New Yorkers with the now-famous question, “How’m I doin’?”
Interestingly, that’s become the question for businesses, corporations, and brands as they strive to create better customer service.
You cannot go anywhere these days without being surveyed about performance. “How did we do?” is the modern-day equivalent to Koch’s query. And it’s a great question.
I had a recent delivery debacle on Amazon that was handled efficiently and courteously by that service-oriented online retailer. There’s a reason why Amazon has celebrated so much success over the past decade. They are relentlessly committed to successful outcomes. And great customer service is at the core of the online experience.
Not only did they quickly refund the full price on a product that never showed up, they provided alternatives, along with a customer survey to ensure my experience was as seamless as possible under the circumstances.
Brands realize the competition is intense, and everyone is striving to do better. As I boarded my Delta flight on the way to PRPD yesterday, a survey researcher was standing at the door handing out business card sized surveys to every passenger. His question? “How are we doing?”
There was a time when frequent flyers like me wondered whether customer service was even an afterthought for the airlines. Today, we know the travel industry is hyper-focused on trying to get it right – often under circumstances they cannot control.
And so we segue to radio, an industry that has never made customer service or the user experience a priority – perhaps now at its own expense. Whether it’s advertisers or listeners, radio’s efforts in the service department have been spotty at best, and often missing in action.
Smart general managers, fastidious sales managers, or aim-to-please PDs are out there. But their presence tends to be more driven by instinct than by company training and prioritization.
When radio was the only game in town, it might have gotten away with shoddy customer service and even ignoring audiences during times of format changes, DJ firings, and other key decisions that impact fans.
But the growth of social media, coupled with increasing priorities for better and more personalized service from an ever-demanding, fickle public – or advertising community – should be forcing companies to create policies, institute training programs, demand action and results, and even hiring new employees with customer service in mind.
The consumer culture is changing, driven partially by technology, but also by amped up expectations that brands could and need to do better.
Stations continue to spend research dollars asking “Are you tired of hearing that song?” or “How would you rate that DJ on a 1-5 scale?”
While those questions remain relevant and important to programming, a little Ed Koch might go a long way toward building a station culture that values meaningful bonds with the people who listen to our stations and advertise on them.
Let’s start asking “How’re we doin’?” and truly listening to what our constituents have to say.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
- Radio + Thanksgiving = Gratitude - November 27, 2024
- Is It Quittin’ Time For SiriusXM? - November 26, 2024
- Radio, It Oughta Be A Crime - November 25, 2024
Fred,
Printing today’s post and hanging it on my wall. There is no better activity in business than asking the customer for feedback on your product or service and then being brave enough to actually trust and act upon it.
Marshall, thanks for the kind words. For someone like you who’s been focused on the consumer for your entire professional career, you comment and advice are much appreciated.