Understanding

Life was so simple in the 70s.

Gee whiz, communicating with people is so complex nowadays. I can think of more than half-a-dozen channels right off the bat: phone, e-mail, direct message, fb, twitter, linkedin, text and the US Mail.

I am no communication expert but want to share my thoughts anyway.

You have to understand all these channels if you want to effectively communicate across the spectrum. Communication preference may be the newest facet of diversity.

Businesses should communicate with customers in the customer’s preferred mode, especially if it’s about a problem they are having with your service or product. If your customer fb messages you, reply via fb message. If they e-mail you, reply by e-mail. If they call you, call them back. I spend a lot of time on the phone while working so my preference is to deal with other matters by e-mail.

I’ve never seen this one written up but often hear people voice frustration because of it. Contact someone once and then wait for their response. Unless it is a real emergency, multiple messages can be very annoying.

The complexity is driven by technology and technology is constantly changing. You know the drill – be nimble, adaptable, flexible, and open to change.

As always, I’d love to hear what your thinking on this is.