Improve Your Blog With a Customer Service Mindset
After graduating college with a Computer Information Systems degree I found out how difficult it was to find a real job. Even though I had just spent the last four years of my life working my butt off (okay, I did have a little fun 
) to learn all I could about Information Technology, after graduation, I quickly learned that if I did not know someone with the inside track help me that entry level position, or have a few years of actual on the job experience, I was not getting a job. So what did I do? I went to work for T-Mobile as a Sales Representative. Although my title was “Sales Rep,” the position was basically that of a Customer Service Representative. For three years I put up with a job that I knew did not want to do the rest of my life. At the time, the job seemed pointless, but as I look back, there actually were some valuable lessons learned that can transfer over into blogging.
Lessons to be Learned in Everything we Do
I believe that no matter the situation, there is a lesson to be learned by having been in that situation. I didn’t want to be a Customer Service Representative, and at the time I wasn’t running a blog, but looking back, I realize there were some valuable lessons I took away from the position that I can directly relate to improving my blog:
1. Listen
In Customer Service, you must listen to the customer. When running a blog, you must listen to the reader. When a reader makes a suggestion or brings something up in the form of a comment, listen to them. If they suggest a change to improve your site, listen to them. There is a better than average chance that if one reader speaks up, many more are thinking the same, just not letting you know. If you do not know what your readers want, you will never be able to fully tailor your blog to them, and well, that’s the main point of the blog because without your readers, your blog is nothing more than a bunch of thoughts published online.
2. Ask Questions
Sometimes, in order to effectively listen to your customer, you must first ask engaging questions. A lot of customers will be shy when browsing your product. If you’re only asking general questions like “Can I help you?” You will more than likely get a general response like “No thanks, just browsing.” By never asking questions on your blog articles, you are essentially asking a non engaging questionto which most of your visitors will respond with “No thanks, just browsing” in that they will browse your site, but hardly interact and join in the discussions.
3. Respond
If a customer were to call and leave a message at the business in which you are working as a customer service representative, you ALWAYS call them back. Same goes for your blog. If someone contacts you through your blog, ALWAYS respond to their inquiry. I hate it when I contact a blog owner and never get a response. I do understand that you may own a very popular blog and get a lot of email, so as there are no exceptions to this rule when you’re a customer service rep, this rule can be bent just a hair when you’re a popular blogger or else you may never get any actual work done.
4. Make Contact and Follow Up
In customer service, you should contact your customers to follow up on the experience they had while visiting your business. Your blog is no different. You should make contact with any new readers and follow up with existing ones. Making contact with your readers allows you to show them that you are approachable. Being approachable allows you to connect with your readers in a more personal way. Follow up with your existing readers to let them know you still value their contributions and ask for thoughts on how improve your blog (asking questions doesn’t always have to be in the form of a blog article).
5. Thank Your Readers
Probably the most important step of all in customer service is to thank your customers. In blogging, thanking your readers has the same effect. It may not mean much to some, but like a lot of customers, readers like to know their contributions are appreciated. As a blog owner, you like receiving comments to your articles. Comments give you a sense of accomplishment in that someone out there is actually reading what you are writing and you are not wasting your time. Saying thank you to the commentators has the same effect. Readers that do take the time to comment like to know their comment didn’t go unnoticed. This is why I always try to interact with my readers in the comment section of each article and I always thank them for their contributions. Reader contributions are what makes your blog a blog so you better show them you appreciate them.
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Comments
Nice post.
Nice points.
I’ll keep ‘em in mind!
:-D
Posted on Mon Aug 13, 2007
Very nice post Deron. I’m with you too. I waited tables for three years while putting myself in college and waiting tables is pretty much just customer service. You learn alot from jobs like that.
Posted on Mon Aug 13, 2007
Daravuth: Yeah, asking questions is a good way to get comments and a little more interaction to your blog. A lot of people won’t leave a comment unless a question is asked, as they don’t see a need to.
Brian: Hopefully they will help you’re blog once the new design is launched. Good luck.
Sara: Hey, glad to see you back. Since you waited tables you definitely know what I’m talking about. At the time, I hated it. I hated being blamed for everything under the sun that went wrong with the customers phone or phone service plan. But, it as it turns out I did learn a lot about taking care of the customer and a lot of that transfers over to this blog.
Posted on Tue Aug 14, 2007
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My name is Deron Sizemore and I am a web designer, web publisher, blogger and serial internet entrepreneur living in Lexington, Kentucky.
Wow!! great strategy!!i have followed ur 4 points except one i usually didn’t do; that’s the second one. As you c, i rarely post any questions rather than to describe something. Via your article, i’ll try to ask questions which make my blog more interactive. Thanks for sharing this article.
Ps: 2% of my questions through contact sections to others blogs has been replied. I hate that such of things too. I always write back to everyone writing to me.
Posted on Sun Aug 12, 2007