This interview is with Gina Bianchini, the founder and CEO of Ning. At Customer Service is the New Marketing, Gina will be on the Customer Service as Community, Community as Customer Service Panel.
I was first exposed to social networking when I started using the web in 1994. I got my first “real” dose of social networking in 2003 when I started using Friendster. At Ning, we define social networking very broadly to include all the different ways people want to connect with each other. If fact, when we started Ning, we were looking to what people were doing with eBay, Craigslist, Classmates.com, forums, etc. for what we wanted to create.
I like to think that community aligns well with customer service because there is essentially no difference between the two. Ensuring that the people using your service are happy or at least clear in the deal they are making with you when they use what you offer is the most important thing you can to do in our little corner of the world. If you don’t make that a priority, I’m not sure how you are going to be
successful.
We are all about community at Ning. We enable anyone to create their own social networks for anything. The people creating social networks on Ning, our Network Creators, are our most important constituent. We hopefully put our money where our mouth is in terms of being responsive and giving them the best service we can.
My day usually starts when I roll out of bed, check email to ensure that nothing blew up while I was asleep, and then go to the office. From the office, my only priority is ensuring that we’re putting out a great service and that we’re working on ways to make it even great-er-er. This is usually influenced by what our Network Creators are telling us they want.
As told to Douglas Hanna
There is still time to register for Customer Service is the Marketing, which takes place this upcoming Monday, February 4. Head over to the web site and you can attend this tremendous networking and learning opportunity.
Addressing Your Customer Service Challenges
Satisfaction Beyond the Transaction: Investing in customer support is as important as getting sales 
The role of the Community manager is a glorious one, the chance to interact with members, and build a better world. Sadly, so many communities run into the ground from poor interaction, bad management, or not listening to those who are really in charge – the customers. 
Virgin Management is not so much of a traditional head office as a guiding and supporting function for the group. Each business runs their own show and we trust them to represent the name of Virgin. But where the group really benefits is the fact that most issues and challenges have been faced by someone within the group around the world. We can learn form each other and avoid repeating the same mistakes! 
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