2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.

All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.

CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 1
Soci al Medi a has
Thrown Compani es
Back to the Dark Ages

by Curtis N. Bingham

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 2
Soci al Medi a has Thrown Compani es Back to the
Dark Ages

Curtis N. Bingham
Founder and Executive Director
Chief Customer Officer Council

cottls 8loqbom ls tbe tecoqolzeJ ootbotlty oo cblef costomet offlcets ooJ tbe fltst to ptomote tbls tole os
o cotolyst fot competltlve oJvootoqe. ne ls tbe cteotot of tbe ccO kooJmop, o qtoooJbteokloq wotk
cootololoq 100- ctltlcol sttoteqles esseotlol fot costomet ceottlclty. As oo lotetootloool speoket, ootbot,
ooJ coosoltoot, cottls ls posslooote oboot cteotloq costomet sttoteqy to sostoloobly qtow teveooe,
ptoflt, ooJ loyolty.

1he advenL of soclal medla has Lhrown companles back Lo Lhe uark Ages. CusLomers have Laken
Lo Lhe sLreeLs, complalnlng abouL anyLhlng and everyLhlng. lorward momenLum has ground Lo
a halL as companles spend an lnordlnaLe amounL of Llme scourlng soclal medla slLes, Lrylng Lo
flnd dlssaLlsfled cusLomers, puLLlng ouL flres before Lhey become conflagraLlons, and offerlng
dlscounLs Lo make up for mlsLakes. All Lhese efforLs are a huge drag on resources, Llme, and
forward momenLum.
Cr ls lL really as bad as all LhaL?
ln LruLh, many of buslness's llls used Lo be hldden from vlew. CusLomers dldn'L complaln, Lhey
dldn'L have a venue. osLlng a slgn on a downLown n?C sLreeL corner saylng, "LlsLen Lo me
whlne!" dldn'L do any good. CusLomers slmply lefL. And companles dldn'L really care, because
even lf dlsgrunLled cusLomers Lold elghL people, lL was only elghL.
8uL now every cusLomer has a megaphone and a !umboLron Lo reach Lhe largesL, mosL crowded
sLadlums ln Lhe world. no longer can companles geL away wlLh lgnorlng cusLomers who don'L
complaln loudly enough or who don'L know Lhe CLC well enough Lo escalaLe lssues Lo hls
personal aLLenLlon. no longer can companles geL away wlLh lgnorlng cusLomers Lhey hold
capLlve. 1hose cusLomers now have channels Lo severely dlssuade new cusLomers!

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 3
AlLhough palnful, lL ls a wonderful Lhlng LhaL Lhls dlrLy laundry ls alred for all Lo see. Lven
Lhough lL slows forward momenLum. Lven Lhough lL causes a flresLorm ln Lhe 1wlLLersphere.
Companles need Lo embrace Lhls model fully as Lhey halL Lhe presses and flx Lhe baslcs of Lhelr
buslnesses. Cnly by reseLLlng ln such a fashlon can Lhey lay Lhe foundaLlon for forward
lnnovaLlon as Lhey leave Lhe uark Ages of cusLomer dlsregard and enLer Lhe Age of
LngagemenL, where cusLomers are heavlly lnvolved ln every aspecL of Lhe modern buslness.
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Copyright Notice: All content contained in this article is copyright protected material.
Reproduction, in whole or in part, in any form or medium, without the express written
permission of the Chief Customer Officer Council is strictly prohibited.

2013 Predictive Consulting Group, Inc.
All rights reserved. Reproduction prohibited.
CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
www.ccocouncil.org | (978) 226-8675 Page 4
About CURTIS N. BINGHAM
As LxecuLlve ulrecLor of Lhe Chlef CusLomer Cfflcer Councll`, CurLls 8lngham ls
Lhe recognlzed auLhorlLy on chlef cusLomer offlcers and Lhe flrsL Lo promoLe Lhls
role as a caLalysL for compeLlLlve advanLage. Pe ls Lhe creaLor of Lhe CCC
8oadmap, a groundbreaklng work conLalnlng 100+ crlLlcal sLraLegles essenLlal for
cusLomer cenLrlclLy. Pe has creaLed Lhe comprehenslve CusLomer CenLrlclLy
MaLurlLy Model used Lo assess and gulde cusLomer-cenLrlc organlzaLlonal
sLraLegy, and ls a champlon of cusLomer engagemenL as a crlLlcal growLh englne.
As an lnLernaLlonal speaker, auLhor, and consulLanL, CurLls ls passlonaLe abouL
creaLlng cusLomer sLraLegy Lo susLalnably grow revenue, proflL, and loyalLy.
About THE CHIEF CUSTOMER OFFICER COUNCIL
1he CCC Councll ls a powerful and lnLlmaLe gaLherlng of Lhe world's
leadlng cusLomer execuLlves from wldely dlverse lndusLrles. 1he
Councll helps execuLlves achleve ob[ecLlves fasLer and more easlly by
leveraglng besL pracLlces. lL helps valldaLe and reflne sLraLegles and
lnlLlaLlves Lo avold experlmenLlng aL cusLomer expense. Membershlp
ls by lnvlLaLlon only, and purposefully cross-polllnaLed wlLh Lhe mosL
forward-Lhlnklng companles, large and small, so as Lo help cusLomer
execuLlves dellver solld, cusLomer-cenLrlc buslness resulLs. lor more
lnformaLlon, emall lnfo[ccocouncll.org or call 978-226-8673.


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toke o JeslteJ octloo. 5o bow Jo yoo locteose yoot ootbotlty ooJ bettet ose tbe
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oot ooly leoto oboot tbe tbtee types of cblef costomet offlcet ootbotlty.
losltloool, 8ottoweJ ooJ otoeJ, yoo'll olso leoto flve woys to bottow ooJ foot
woys to eoto qteotet ootbotlty, wltb speclflc exomples of eocb.
uowolooJ yoot ftee copy toJoy ot www.ccocouncll.org/Lheblnghamadvlsory/

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