When I was a kid, my parents would sometimes say “Do as I say, not as I do”.  As a child, I did not really fully understand what they meant by that, I just thought it was one of the many things they would say to me when I was doing something that they did not like (conversely, it was usually something that I liked).  Now that I am a parent, I have found myself on occasion, saying this exact same thing to my children (Okay, if not saying it, definitely thinking it).

So then, if we are defined by our actions, then why would we not lead by example? Is it fair of us to tell our children to behave a certain way if we, ourselves, cannot do the same?  How can we expect our children to grow up to be responsible citizens of society if we are not setting a good example?  In a world where we get sound bites here, two second video clips there, we are forced to make quick first impression judgments of people and things.  Those first impressions are usually lasting impressions and if all someone has to go on for you is an action that was less than desirable, how are they supposed to think of you?

I, for one, want to be defined by good and just actions.  I want to do what is right, not just for me, but for everyone around me.  I want to strive to be a better person, a better spouse, a better parent, a better friend.  My actions (and to a degree my words) shape who I am and how the world sees me.  Do I want to be painted in a bad light?  The simple answer is no, but there are times I am sure in which a bad shadow may be cast upon me, and I am to blame for that.  After all, it would have been my actions that caused it.

I cannot change the past; what is, is.  I do possess the power (as does everyone else) to change the future, to do just and right things so that when someone thinks of you and how you are defined, you know that your actions have defined you in the light that you want.  It is something that we can all work on, strive for something better.

There is no better time than the present to get started.

And you will feed him for a day.  Teach a man to fish and you will feed him for a lifetime.  It is an interesting and very true statement.  If someone knows how to do something and does it correctly, they will be content for a lifetime (or some long duration of time).  I think the same sort of analogy could be drawn in terms of customer service and community interaction.

How many times has this happened to you.  You had a question or concern about a particular product or service (whether it be a tangible product or an online product) and you did what most consumers do, you sent an e-mail or placed a call.  If you placed a call, chances are you got someone on the other end of the line, but I am guessing that you may have walked away with a bit of a bad taste in your mouth.  If you sent an e-mail, at best you received a canned response back that may or may not have addressed your concern.  Why is it that when your audience and community can make or break your success, do so many companies treat customer service / community engagement as an afterthought?

Of course, there are companies out there that go above and beyond the call of duty as it pertains to customer service / community engagement, but they are certainly the exceptions and not the norms.  There is a company that does come to mind that handles both very well, that is Zappos.com.  I have purchased several pairs of shoes from them, and their customer service is top notch.  They have been lauded as the poster child for good customer service and they are now even offering consulting services to other companies on how to properly run your customer service / community engagement.

One of the things we do here at Mixx is to be very engaged with your community members.  From following our Twitter stream and responding back to users to personally addressing concerns they have via e-mail, phone, etc.  Bottom line is that we take the time to engage with our community.  Each time someone has a question or a concern is an opportunity for you to better sell your product to them, to keep them happy, to keep them engaged.  Answer their question and treat them the way that you would wanted to be treated, and you have a happy customer.  A happy customer that will most likely tell 100 friends and family members how wonderful your company and product are.  Treat him / her poorly, he  she is most likely to tell 1000 + people how awful you are and to never use your product or service.

The opportunity is there every time a customer reaches out to you, what you do with that opportunity is up to you.