Dealing with customers is either made into a "customer service problem" or how customers feel is made into a "marketing & loyalty problem." Once a company starts thinking like that, it's all downhill. Most companies are only motivated to tackle customer service when they see their competition doing so -- and winning. They match to that expectation and that's pretty much it.

Today, with the reach of social media, from blogs to Twitter, ideas and information are able to proliferate. Most companies surely recognize this, but usually their first instinct is to ask, "How can I use this channel to sell more stuff to my consumer base?" There is merit to this; we can't argue with that. But at the same time, most miss the opportunity to also use these networks to create better channels to interact with their customers. At the end of the day, companies that are passionate about engaging with customers actually spend a lot less dealing with customers than companies that try to avoid those interactions.

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