Behind the Curtain of Reputation Management & Customer Engagement

Whether you’re writing a review on a new restaurant or messaging a business on social media to ask about their hours, have you ever wondered who you are interacting with? Many people would assume they’re speaking to a robot, but you are most likely talking to a real person. And in the case of our customers, it’s us! So here’s a peek at what is going on behind the curtain in the world of customer engagement.

What is Customer Engagement?

By definition, customer engagement is the ‘emotional connection between a customer and brand.’ In our increasingly digital world, you can connect with businesses on several different channels (phone, social media, email, in-person), creating what feels like a non-stop flow of communication. For businesses, customer engagement can seem challenging; and it can sometimes fall to the wayside. And for customers, we expect instant gratification to our questions and concerns. But aren’t we all reachable – all of the time?

Whether you are the customer or the business owner, being heard and responded to is essential.

At Walker Publicity, we consider this the secret ingredient to brand loyalty.

Why is This Important?

As customer engagement specialists, we see the make-or-break moment for customers is when they are faced with a conflict and need to go to the brand for resolution. This can mean an issue with an order or even confusion about hours for retail establishments. Regardless of your industry, review sites are designed for people to do just that, review. And, unfortunately, some of those reviews will be negative.

We know that customers don’t always reach out directly to a business when they are unhappy; they love to share both their roses along with their thorns, so to speak, on social media, Google, and other review platforms.

For those roses, getting a response to a compliment is just as important as responding to a negative comment or review.

For businesses, responding to a client who took a moment out of the day to tell you how much they appreciate you is a way to connect with and make an impression on someone. Positive or negative, it is important to acknowledge your customers’ efforts to create a relationship with you.

In addition to making your customers feel seen and heard, business owners can glean valuable raw feedback and real-time data from these interactions, providing helpful insights on ways to adapt and stay relevant. For example, if you have an employee who isn’t treating customers well, we might be the first to read about it. Likewise, if someone on your team is going above and beyond, we see those kudos and can share them back with you!

When a consumer reaches out, this also creates an opportunity to have a unique interaction with them and show them exactly who your brand is. So the way we look at it, each person took the time out of their busy lives to find your brand and interact with you, which means a lot.

Our Process

At Walker Publicity, social monitoring and reputation management is made possible by our team of public relations professionals. We spend time interacting with our clients’ customers online. We create processes with you to facilitate all brand communications in one spot, so our response time to YOUR clients is quick and on-message.

Our team sees the value in creating a positive and timely customer experience. We go above and beyond to work with you and your team to make each interaction positive and unique. We ensure that our responses are in real-time and that customers are not left feeling neglected.

Whatever level of reputation management and social customer service you seek, our team can adapt and provide a service incorporating your own brand’s voice and personality. We care about your brand’s message and carry that into our work.

Final Thoughts

Customer engagement is not something you can master overnight, and many businesses do not have the time or capacity to do it properly. Although it can be a challenge, it is not something that should ever be forgotten or neglected. It takes time to create a strategic plan that works for your company. However, with the right group of professionals, strong customer relationships are just around the corner and will transform your business.