Facebook & Twitter: Corporate Customer Service Department
I’m sure you’ve noticed the evolution of how companies are practically forced to use Facebook & Twitter as Customer Service. Referencing the picture dialogue above (it didn’t take me very long to find that), what used to happen was people would say all this negative stuff and businesses for the most part wouldn’t care… they just wanted you as a number (old Myspace times). If it ever got bad they would block you. Now companies are taking a pro-active approach solving the customer problem that wasn’t resolved at the time of transaction or whenever. The first comment in the picture, the guy’s his name is Marc and he is just complaining about the overall problem Sears is faced with. Really neither Marc or Sears can do anything about that. Sears itself didn’t reply to his negative comment… it was Sears Cares that did. Personally that’s kind of a dumb move but whatever. I guess that’s their Facebook clean up department. Sears Cares responded like any other corporation would, politely and made it seem like his remarks were important to Sears. Then along comes a loser who’s been shopping for 30+ years at Sears, and starts defending the corporation. Now this is exactly what Sears wants… real interactive customers and loyal fans talking about Sears. Sears knows that on facebook and twitter customer’s good or bad impressions can spread through out the social networks, giving basically FREE marketing to Sears.
Now I used Sears as my example… but a great one is @Motorola and @Sega they are very interactive with their customers. Follow them on Twitter and you’ll see what I mean. Oh and don’t forget to follow me on Twitter too @robot_sonic
You as the customer have been given lots of power in getting what you want when using Facebook or Twitter… especially if you have a lot of friends or followers. If you say on Twitter… “@ATT sucks I’m going to @Verizon”… which they get like everyday. If that doesn’t work for you, instead try saying “@ATT Customer Service Reps were unhelpful with helping me with my U-verse. I’ve been a customer for 6 years and now do I need to switch?” That should get their attention because you’re not just a regular complainer and you made your frustration civil.
I can see this one day back firing on them, with a crazy revolution of how, say.. Sears products suck… but for now its getting them a large amount of Followers and Likers, which is always good to have.
Bad press or Good press… as long as you’re paying attention us that’s all we care about!
