This is part three of our in-depth analysis of customer-experience expert Shep Hyken’s recent article, “Top Customer Service and CX Predictions and Trends for 2024,” where we’ll take a look at the next prediction on his list: “Social Cause Increases Customer Satisfaction.”
Hyken explains, “43% of consumers believe it’s important that a company has a social cause that resonates with them versus just 24% who said it wasn’t important. This is especially important to the Gen-Z and Millennial generations.” And while he doesn’t discuss why younger people care more about this, one good guess is that millennials and zoomers are highly attuned to social media. Naturally, they’re apt to see the ebbs and flows of a company’s reputation in real time, which is both a blessing and a curse. so it’s crucial you make that reputation a good one.
Pick a Cause, Any Cause
The first step towards this goal is to select a cause that’s important to you. Hyken suggests even sitting down with your employees to find one that you all mutually care about. While he doesn’t offer any specifics about how to pick, here are some basic concepts you might consider:
- Support Local: where possible, you should seek organizations or initiatives that are close to home. While there are many great national or even international charities, they tend to be about the big picture in a way that doesn’t necessarily benefit your community. Be the change you want to see locally. People want to see that positive impact with their own eyes.
- Stay on Topic: the most effective support you can make is for causes related to the business you perform. For example, if you run a restaurant, your business could support a soup kitchen; if a retail store, you might donate products for a toy drive or a fundraiser for the local high school football team; if a car dealership, perhaps you can transport veterans to their healthcare appointments. Get creative. Your expertise will serve whatever cause you care about.
- Be Engaged: encourage your staff and customers to get involved. This is how you support and develop your company culture. Better still, these efforts make your charitable goals more likely to succeed, and more likely to get noticed. All of which will help to improve your brand recognition and reputation. Get your faces and your logo out there.
Craft Your Narrative
A company’s reputation can cut both ways. As you’ve doubtlessly heard, there are many businesses out there getting noticed for negative things, like engaging in practices like shrinkflation. Many consumers feel their trust has been betrayed. More than ever, now is the time to reward their faith by making sure you not only sell great products and services, but that your business is also a net positive for the community. Consider the potential trifecta: you offer a great product, your employees are well taken care of, and you reinvest some of your time and money into making your little of the corner of the world better for everyone.
The Brandt Group is your partner in this. We have the tools to help you gauge how your customers and your employees really feel about everything from your merchandizing to your products, all the way to how your business makes life a little better. Let’s build a company culture that everyone can be proud of, one where your customers are happy to spend their money with you.
What do you need? Feedback surveys? We do that. Leadership training? Of course. Mystery shopping? That’s our bread and butter.
