A Lesson Your Business Could Learn from the Ray Rice Video

I will leave it for others to opine about Ray Rice, his wife, and the NFL. But as a customer experience consultant there are two important business lessons to take from this horrific situation. Assume every customer interaction is being videotaped and appreciate the power of viral video.

When I was a kid my dad was quick to say, “never do anything that you wouldn’t want to read about in the newspaper.” That “dadism,” while dated, applies more than ever in a world fueled by stories secured with the ease of pushing a button on a phone. One doesn’t have to look far to find a bevvy of YouTube videos where customers capture images of their telephone screen depicting a 2 and 1/2 hour hold time on call. The audio you hear is often the repetitious “someone will be with you shortly.” I recently shared the stage with Dave Carroll who has literally launched a speaking career and even written a customer service book based on his YouTube video/song titled United Breaks Guitars (sharing how United Airlines broke and did not replace his Taylor guitar).

Treating a customer badly doesn’t necessarily end with them grumbling to a few friends and family members. This week we all experienced the impact of video evidence. Moving images shaped and changed perceptions and fueled outrage.

I have never been one to advocate striving for exceptional customer service delivery to avert consequences such as negative customer services videos. We should serve one another well because it is the right thing to do.

Thanks to the technology of today, we must assume that whatever we do (good or bad) will be seen, captured and shared!