Engaging Customers by Mark Mathis 3/16/2010

The hot topic with marketing types like me is “customer engagement.”  You’ll see me overuse this new buzz word.  But it is not new.

Customer engagement used to mean studying customer/stakeholder ‘touch’ points.  Then making sure that the experience is a good one for those who engage you.  Now it seems to mean connecting with people via social media.  But do we really want to be engaged with a bank, with a grocery store, with a gas station, with a clothing store?    I find that most of the engagement just means that a raft of e-mails are coming my way.  But not much engagement. 

The one place I saw real engagement that added value was at Disney World in Orlando.  We went on my daughter’s birthday and they gave her a button at the entrance.  At first I thought, “Oh boy a realbutton, you think they could have sprung for a bit more.”  But as we walked around the park, she was treated in grand style by every cast member (employees) we encountered, making it a truly magical day.  The other engagement tool Disney uses is the trading of pins.  Each cast member has a number of pins that they wear.  You can trade any of your pins with these people.  Even the people picking up the trash get into the act.  The kids (and parents) love it.  Each encounter paints memories that last a lifetime. 

And you are truly engaged.  Why?  Because engagement requires a two-way relationship (and I’m not talking about another survey).  Engagement is a commitment from both sides with equal exchange.  Finding touch points, beyond automatically initiated e-mails, is the key to true engagement with customers and stakeholders.  Want to trade a pin? 

Engaging Customers

March 16, 2010 by iowaadguy