The changing faces of charity customer service

 When one thinks of not-for-profit organisations (ranging from charities to regulators to chartered institutes and membership bodies), often the perception can be of small, slow-paced organisations which survive hand to mouth and rely on the goodwill of others. Inside most not-for-profits beats a true business heart, working hard to appeal to their vast numbers of stakeholders and typically being under a huge amount of pressure, no different from commercial organisations.

 

Not-for-profits frequently have to manage the expectations of a varied collection of stakeholders, from members and supporters to volunteers and donors, but with comparatively fewer resources to work with. Staff numbers in the not-for-profit sector can be small. IT equipment is unlikely to be lavish. Financing might be restricted or irregular. This makes efficiency vital, both practically, as the organisation tries to do a lot with a little, and ethically. Customer relations need to be managed closely in order to appear transparent and personable; after all, many not-for-profit organisations rely on personality and appeal to bring in donations and memberships.

 

With the advance of technology, we are always connected. This means organisations have to communicate with customers 24/7 and to deal with queries across multiple channels, such as websites, social media and instant messaging. The way customers relate to organisations has changed dramatically. Not-for-profit organisations – just like businesses – have adapted their use of technology to meet the way in which their stakeholders prefer to communicate.

 

Members and supporters are now smarter consumers (as they are shrewder customers in the commercial world). They have higher expectations and know what information they require. They need fast transactions and up-to-date information, which is reflected in the way they communicate with organisations. Through social media, members and supporters also have more influence over an organisation’s reputation. One bad experience can be tweeted to followers all over the globe and re-tweeted again and again, spreading a potentially negative image of the organisation. Not-for-profits, however, also rely on social media to raise awareness and generate support for particular issues or campaigns. Both uses of social media make effective monitoring important.