I have a friend who’s a big muckety muck at a major phone/Internet provider. I haven’t seen him in a few months, but I keep remembering a conversation we had over the summer. I won’t bore you with all the minor details, but the bottom line is he (and many of his counterparts) don’t care for bloggers or social networking outlets because it’s harder for complaints to be swept under the rug or handled quietly. They’d rather not have their flaws made public. I get it. Who wants that kind of negativity? I don’t agree though. I feel having an online presence is good for business instead of the other way around.
Our conversation began when I mentioned how another blogger complained on her blog about a defective product and poor customer service. The day she posted, a representative from that same company commented saying he would take care of her problem, and he did - immediately.
Soon after that I learned my cable company was being switched to a well-known brand. I asked on Twitter of others’ experiences with this company and lo and behold….a representative of that company reached out to answer my questions. I dug the vibe.
So my friend, the big muckety muck at the phone network ,hates the idea of bloggers talking about their services or folks complaining to The Consumerist or other blogs. Again, I get it. Who wants to look bad?
But…
Consumers are frustrated by a lack of customer service, what other choice to they have? What happens when you navigate a phone menu to nowhere, or get put through to fake supervisors who don’t help at all? Shouldn’t the folks paying for a service get the best service possible? That’s why I have more confidence in a company with a heavy online presence than with one that chooses to sweep all the bad stuff under the rug.
Should businesses monitor social networks?
Absolutely! It’s important to not only understand what folks are saying and why, but to reach out and offer assurance. In fact, I’d much rather pay extra for a company that rocked the customer care than support anyone who doesn’t put their clientele first and foremost at the top of the priority list. Moreover, if I see someone else having issues with a certain company and see said company reaching out to make amends, it will give me more confidence and maybe even encourage me to do business with them.
Just because a business doesn’t have an online presence doesn’t mean folks aren’t going to talk. Isn’t it better to monitor what they’re saying and reach out to fix the issue than to pretend it doesn’t exist?
{ 6 comments… read them below or add one }
Absolutely! Even if they just use free tools like Google Alerts and Twitter Search it is very important to keep tabs on their brand in the marketplace. One to listen. Two because it is better to fix the problem then to have it fester and spread further.
My two cents!
Hi Michelle - That’s a great two cents! It’s so important for businesses to learn what’s being said about them - and work to correct any negativity.
This past November I had a bad experience with my student loan company and after being frustrated by their customer service, I decided to write a negative blog post about the company to do my part (and get back at them the only way I knew how). The next day after I posted this blog, the VP called me and apologizes and said how he read my blog and was upset that I had a bad customer experience.
How sweet.
Here’s the link to my post(s):
http://notsoliteral.blogspot.com/2008/11/were-in-recession-of-corporate.html
http://notsoliteral.blogspot.com/2008/11/it-is-amazing-to-be-listened-to.html
Oh yeah - one of the few things that your friend doesn’t get? The conversation is going to go on whether he approves or doesn’t, and whether he ignores it or doesn’t.
Customers aren’t passive any more - they have voices. You can’t ignore what they’re saying and hope it goes away. The river is going to keep flowing whether you are in it or not.
At best, you can listen, respond, and participate - and in doing so, if you’re lucky? Possibly divert the flow a bit so that it heads off in a positive direction rather than flooding the valley below.
Your friend needs to read Groundswell and wake up to the 21st century I’m afraid
I think in a way the Internet can be a big businesses worse nightmare. Bad news can go viral in nothing flat if we’re not careful. However, the Internet can also be a company’s best friend. If used properly it can rally folks around a product or service rather than drive them away.
Great post Deb, I agree with all the points above. Companies simply can’t afford not to monitor (and participate) in the conversation. It should be viewed as feedback and an opportunity to address the issue and win over others - the companies that will thrive will be those that have a real voice in the social media space.
I manage a community of 140K, and just yesterday they started a thread on companies with the worst customer service. 120 posts in and not a representative in sight. I suspect your friend’s Telco may have got a mention, as they all rated quite highly!