Last night, I was reading a book on my iPad (very cool by the way). The premise behind the chapter I was reading, was to emphasize the importance of listening to your customers. The author provided the example of Boloco, a Boston-based burrito chain. One of the things that CEO, John Pepper frequently does, is search the company name on Twitter with the intent of engaging with customers. He caught somebody complaining about the volume of the store's music. Right away, he called the manager, had the music lowered and instructed him to approach the customer and ensure that the level was set to a more comfortable volume. The customer was so happy, she Tweeted about her experience right away. Many of her followers shared the story. She wrote a blog about it. It was retold in the Thank You Economy book. I just sent this email to you. WOW!!

Make no mistake. The virility of this situation was not with Twitter. Twitter, the Blog, the Book and my Note to you were simply enablers. What catalyzed this incredible testament to Boloco's detail to customer satisfaction was John Pepper's finger on the pulse and immediate remedy to his customer's discomfort. Telling your customer you care is one thing. Showing it is another. The success of your business lies in three words. ULTIMATE USER EXPERIENCE. Attract new clients through great collateral (websites, fan pages, cards, ads, etc.) and testimonials. Retain existing clients by over delivering and mitigating cognitive dissonance. And here's the big one... actually continue speaking with clients (socially or professionally) even when you don't want something from them. The supplier/client model has been replaced with partnerships and alliances. The sooner we come to terms with that, the sooner we can facilitate win win.

Boloco has written an awesome article on how they use Social Media For Success.  Check it out!