We all recognize the value of Twitter as a networking tool. But more and more everyday businesses are jumping on board, hoping to reap the benefits of the social media space.
A friend of mine recently blogged on her company blog about the benefits of businesses using Twitter, particularly as a customer service channel, and it got me interested in hearing from our Community about their own interactions with businesses on Twitter.
I have my own personal experience with a business (that will remain nameless) that is extremely active on Twitter. As a result of their lack of continued attention to my Tweets about cleanliness and customer service, I am no longer a patron; I now shop (it’s a retail chain) at their competitor. Candidly, I wasn’t even looking for a resolution to a specific problem, I was simply wanting to be heard.
I manage most of the Twitter profiles for IZEA, so this topic is particularly close to me. I pay very close attention to the conversations happening, and do my best to respond to any Tweets directed to us or about us. With the volume of Followers we have I’m sure I’ve missed a few over the past couple of years, but it’s very important that we engage with our users and provide exemplary customer service. This is definitely a mission we’ll continue moving forward.
So what are some interactions–positive or negative–you’ve had with businesses you Follow on Twitter? We’d love to hear about them!
At IZEAFest the Orlando Renaissance screwed over my friend Maureen. They charged her debit card instead of my credit card. I made some noise about it on Twitter and the Marriott Twitter person contacted me and attempted to help my friend but that company is way to big and inept so overall they ended up costing my friend Maureen $400 in overdraft fees, and other charges. They took no responsibility for screwing up either. So instead I auctioned off reviews on BenSpark.com to raise the money for her. Screw Marriott an their crap customer service.
On the flip side I wrote a blog post about Boloco and how I liked Chipotle better than Boloco. I was contacted by the CEO of Boloco who gave me a couple of free Burritos to come back and check out the store again. That was a company that has their stuff together.
So glad you wrote this post. As you know, I witnessed a great interaction between SunTrust Bank and a former colleague last week.
And, I will forever be loyal to Zappos.com for being one of the first companies to interact with me on Twitter. I know a million stories have been told about them by now, but this was in the early days of Twitter and it stuck.
@BenSpark: I recall your situation with the Marriott. I hate that it happened during IZEAFest, of course, but the thing that really stinks is they took no responsibility. It’s really a missed opportunity on their part, especially since resolution could’ve been so simple.
Now what happened with Boloco is how things should be done. Nice to hear!
The funny thing is that my light my friend asked me this question “What is the benefit of twiteer for businesses?”
@Kim Taylor: Thanks for inspiring me to write this post.
I remember your story about Zappos, and I love it!
Twitter definitely benefits businesses by giving them opportunity to market their products for free!
That’s great!
@Social Networking: But more importantly than the Marketing aspect, Twitter affords businesses & companies a channel to hear from and directly engage with their customers.
Thanks so much for this posting! It’s really nice to know that others are watching @askSunTrust and our efforts to assist our clients. The main benefit for us right now is the 1/1 interaction with our clients. I think that sometimes companies get tied up in the black hole of being “corporate” and sometimes consumers just want to know that they’re important, that the relationship matters and that when they have a problem — the company values them enough to listen, resolve it and make sure it doesn’t happen to other customers.
@Bianca: You hit the nail on the head! Thanks for your input.
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