“In the age of technology there is constant access to vast amounts of information. The basket overflows; people get overwhelmed; the eye of the storm is not so much what goes on in the world, it is the confusion of how to think, feel, digest, and react to what goes on.” – Criss Jami
Technology has been great – it has opened up a world of new opportunities and possibilities. Prior to the internet, customers would depend on the information they received from the sales people and or other representatives of a company, keeping the ‘power and control’ with the company. These people always had more information and knowledge than the customer. Now however, the dynamics have changed – customers have access to huge repositories of information and can retrieve whatever they need from the sea called the internet. The catch however, is that so much information can be overwhelming. It would be wise then for companies to stop overloading customers with information, but rather sift and provide only as much information as they would be able to use to resolve their most immediate issues. Too much of even a good thing can prove to be bad over time.
They want to stay informed, but overloading customers with information would only serve to confuse them and possibly back off from making a buying decision. This would be the exact opposite of what companies want and need. Information should be provided to customers to display a company’s expertise but must also serve to enhance the competitive advantage of the customer. Information should add value to both customers and a company, rather than have a crippling effect. Customers might do their own research when making a decision to contact a particular company, however, the manner in which the company manages and disseminates information could be one of the ‘deciding’ factors for a customer.
Companies have loads of information at their disposal – not just of their own company, but also about customers, target audience, the market, competitors, and a whole sea of related data. It is for this reason that they must be careful and meticulous when disseminating it. Overloading customers with information simply because your company has data, would be highly detrimental – the data could overwhelm customers and push them away quicker than a company can take action to prevent an ‘exodus’. The fact is that customers too face challenges each day and one of the unsaid expectations from the company they associate with is to make things easier for them. By overloading customers with information, a company makes it very difficult for customers to decide, make choices, or even gain insights into how they can resolve their issues. The very premise of customer service is to make the lives of customers easier and contribute to their success. Overloading customers with information would have the opposite effect and could easily ‘scare’ them away.
The role of company representatives – sales, customer service, and others – has changed with regard to solely being information providers. Customers refuse to have unnecessary information dumped on them – they want the company representatives to provide them with interesting, useable, and value-added information, which in turn means that these representatives must be highly knowledgeable and understand exactly what the customer would need. The change has been dramatic for customers – from too little to an overwhelming amount, information is often unwelcome and repulsive. In order to prevent customers from ‘running’ away from their information, companies must ensure that their representatives have substantial training through which they would be equipped to know how much and what information customers would need at different times. Information makes customers feel secure, especially when it is useful, engaging, and interesting. However, too much of it can become overwhelming and even annoying for them.
Customers are bombarded with unsolicited information from every side – pop ups, emails, messages, phone calls, and through other media – which can be extremely frustrating. As a customer, you too would be able to relate to these annoying instances through the day, leaving you irritated and drained. Would it not be sensible for a company to therefore, understand its customers thoroughly to learn what information they need and for what purpose, and then provide them with only as much? This information would be welcome and customers would be more than happy to read and use it, enhancing the reputation of your company as one that listens to its customers. Whenever you have something ‘to say’ to your customers, make sure that it provides knowledge, and or is a solution for a problem they currently face or could face in the future. Overloading customers with information is just bad business and amounts to slovenly customer service.
As we mentioned earlier, one of the biggest challenges that a company can face by overloading customers with information, is that instead of taking action, customers become hesitant. Anything that seems infinite or ‘larger’ than the self tends to scare people and this is the same effect an information overload has on customers. It prevents them from making any buying decisions and if the company continues with sending streams of information, customers could actually leave the company, never to return. While customers are on the lookout for new and interesting information, they prefer it in ‘bite sizes’ such that they are able to process what they have on hand, before more comes their way. Knowing when to send customers information is a trick that many companies still have not mastered, earning them a reputation of poor customer service.
Customers have a lot going on and when they associate with a company, one of the expectations they have is that the company will make their business successful and their lives a lot simpler. Overloading customers with information neither helps their business, nor does it get them any closer to their goals – customers would rather ‘exit’ a company that conducts itself in this brainless fashion. With so much competition, losing even one customer could severely damage the bottom line of a company, and hence it would be better for a company to take time to assess how and when they must communicate with their customers. For example – a friend’s teenaged daughter was particularly fond of this e-commerce platform. She had even ordered a few items from them. However, the company messed up – they began ‘appearing’ everywhere. Every site she would open they were there, 4-5 emails per day on offers, discounts, and others – it was inhibiting and annoying. The company was ‘in her face’ – as a result, she unsubscribed for good. Not only did the company lose a regular customer, they also lost many more – of course, the kid told her friends, who agreed to unsubscribe given that they too were being ‘subject to the torture’.
Rather than be that ‘pesky company’ from who everyone wants to block and run away from, be the kind of company that customers draw close to because they can see value in the association and the information they receive is useful for customers. Refrain from overloading customers with information and focus on helping them to narrow down their options, make quick and intelligent choices, and give them only the most relevant pieces of data for immediate ‘consumption. Customers will thank you for being intuitive to their needs and caring for their requirements. They will reciprocate with more business and bring ‘their friends over’ to engage in business with you. Profitability and success would not be hard to gain then!
