Starbucks Note #2 - Crowd Thinking - Trust and Care

Let me share with you a good read from the book Onward by Howard Schultz. Here it is

"I've always believed that innovation is about rethinking the nature of relationship, not just rethinking products, and as Micheal explained how IdeaStorm was helping Dell listen to customers and improve its products and services, I nodded. There was definitely something here for Starbucks. A chance to reconnect with customers we had lost touch with."

Thinking has been renovated. We are living in the world that now we can connect, trade minds, and make the process of thinking so much better. If an idea is born by one person, then if you can turn it into a commodity so people can share, comment, and rate it, you idea will be added value and have a better chance to survive. Top of that, groups of people want to share, add value, and give you feedbacks are ready and willing to help you. The only thing is whether what you are doing is matter or not.

Customer service is no longer a hot line. It is an online community where your customers are exchanging information, feelings, and concerns. IdeaStorm is a good example of Dell when the giant computer company take initiative to capture the info from their customers. Mr. Dell didn't wait until customers complain, he created an online "home" where he could invite all his customers to give him feedback and critics. That's a brilliant idea not to wait for complains, but actually seek for and facilitate it to make the complains easier and more organized. I believe no longer can companies  hide behind endless service phone calls. They have to be more proactive to catch up with customers and resolve their issues as soon as possible.

In the end, I believe there is more than a hot line, a website, or a facebook.
They are TRUST and CARE.

How to care about your customers?
How to make any people related to you trust you?
...

A heart is more than a transaction.