I have heard many people say to me that if you have a problem with an Organisation, don't bother with 'customer service', just go straight to the sales number, or even better, to the 'customer leaving' number and you'll get a decent response.

This of course sounds a bit dysfunctional, but the following happened to me this week.

I am leaving O2 to get a new contract with Orange, so I phoned up the relevant O2 number to get my code to transfer. I followed all the steps stating 'If you are leaving us dial '2' ' or whatever it was, only to be greeted by a very pleasant young lady with:

Your customers are!

Whether you like it or not, your customers are already talking about you, either directly to their friends, or, and of course now much more common, and potentially infinitely more powerful … on the Internet.

The Internet is empowering your customer unlike anything before  … you can either use this fact to your advantage, or let it happen without you. Your challenge is to make sure whatever is being said about you is ‘great’ on an ongoing basis.

There's much shouting about how 'unfair' Trip Advisor are and how annoying it is to get bad reviews, so I feel compelled to put the record straight. Here goes:

> It's not 'unfair' everyone has the same issues!

> If you get it right it's free worldwide advertising for a little bit of effort, what on earth is anyone moaning about?

This is so often the case.

I suggest you do more than this if you want to spend time and money on customer feedback (and you MUST do this in 2012 to survive). Here's my short tips:

1. You don't want 'satisfaction' you want 'loyalty' and 'engagement' resulting in repeat sales, up sales and referrals

Here's my nomination for absolutely outstanding service in 2011: Victorinox (those people who make those fab Swiss Army Penknives). Here's the story: it's short and sweet.

I was given a Victorinox penknife on my 16th birthday.

Some 30 years later, the tiny metal ring that attaches it to a keyring wore through from over use (everything else was still working 100%). I emailed Victorinox in Switzerland to see if it could be repaired.

A study by the Institute of Customer Service (ICS) today reveals that UK firms fear losing 10% of their customer base over the next three years, at a cost of almost two and quarter billion pounds.

As cash–strapped customers spend less and shop around more amid continuing economic turmoil, business leaders warn of an impending war for customers and identify customer retention and acquisition as critical to success.

The study is based on research among senior decision-makers at 250 of the UK’s largest consumer firms, as well as 1,000 consumers.

‘I know that half of my advertising budget is wasted, but I’m not sure which half’ Henry Ford.

In Henry Ford’s day, marketing and advertising were what drove sales and business success.

But the world is a VERY different place today: marketing and advertising have less and less influence on buying decisions every day: and the quicker businesses realize this, the better.