I am writing in response to the blog on customerevangelists.com titled Crisis 101: Now measured in Minutes, written by Ben McConnell. The blog was written on April 16 and addresses the issue of how quickly bad word-of-mouth can now spread through the latest trendy social network Twitter. It is very interesting how Twitter has become so successful, so quickly, and that the site can actually affect businesses. Most people get a Twitter and think, “Oh, I am just going to update the online world about what I’m watching on TV or having for dinner.” In actuality, people use Twitter at all times of the day to alert the world on just about anything. The most talked about items are then posted on the left side of the Twitter homepage, so that users can see the trending topics. When those topics are clicked, users can view all that was said about the topic. This had quite negative effects for Amazon and Domino’s after each of their blunders. On the contrary, it has had extremely positive implications for Sarah Boyle and Adam Lambert, two other “trending topics” lately.
So how are businesses to respond? I think that Comcast has done particularly well in combating the negative effects of the company’s rather poor image of customer service. Frank Eliason, a Comcast employee, now has the official position of tweeting to customers who bad-mouth the company. Not only does he tweet, but he also comments blogs. This strategy, although controversial to some, I find quite appealing. I think it is nice to see companies reaching out to distraught customers in ways that are consistent with modern times. Of course phone and email is still important in many circumstances, but quick tweets also get the point across and, to me, seem more genuine. The fact that Eliason takes the time to search what is said about Comcast through Twitter and Blogs shows that he truly cares. The company has also decided to expand the position and have a team that works round the clock to find any unfavorable comments and mitigate the effects.
Of course it gets me thinking, what next? There are so many social networks and different types of media that now affects business, what will be next? Eventually, along with Marketing, Finance, and Accounting departments, there will be departments of business strictly dedicated to Social Networking. I can foresee employees in the “Social Networking Department” responsible for promoting the business, apologizing to complaining customers, even addressing how the business is doing in terms of stocks, sales, dividends all via Twitter!
Although to some of the older, less technologically advanced society, this may seem aggravating and inconvenient, I believe that it will be well received. Twitter users, being one myself, like the quick updates available, so to have businesses joining in is appealing. Of course we have seen it can be damaging for some businesses, Amazon and Domino’s, I think overall it will turn out to be helpful to the business.
Now, off the subject, but kind of on the subject, it is interesting to me how people decide what to Tweet. I think it sort of ties into Customer Insights in finding out why people say what they do. When you only have 140 characters to express what you are doing how do you decide what to say? And when you decide to say something completely off-topic that does not pertain to the question what are you doing, why do you do it? I mean I have read many tweets that are completely ridiculous information, some that address a serious subject, others that mention a feeling, etc. What triggers what Twitter’s “customers” will tweet about??? (Now, that’s alliteration at it’s best!)
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This is an interesting topic with interesting thoughts.
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