 |
February 03, 2010 - There continues to be much discussions about the benefits of Twitter and the many reasons why an account on their is necessary. What sets it apart from other social networking sites is the real time post of its members every second of every day. Many companies are quickly becoming aware of this fact and have started twitter accounts. Where at one time commercials and other forms of advertising would post the web address for a company, i.e. www.honda.com or www.pepsi.com, it is increasingly common to see an organization's Twitter address. Diverse companies such as @Comcast, @Dell, and @Southwest Airlines have been using the site to not only help build brand image, but to have a direct platform for their customers.
Now why is this important to you?
These twitter address for companies can often be the easiest way to accomplish many of your customer service needs. The advantage of immediate conversation, with a company you use for products and services is amazing. In theory, the amount of time it takes to send a tweet out and receive a response will be quicker then making a phone call.
I will give a great example of using Twitter for this very use. Sometime last year I ordered an AT&T LG VU phone from the cell phone website www.wirefly.com. When the phone arrived to my home there were some problems with the device. I immediately called and of course was stuck listening to elevator music while being on hold. As I sat there waiting I got the idea to search for Wirefly on Twitter and came across their page. I sent @Wirefly a tweet explaining my problem. Before a live person picked up the phone I was sent back a tweet and then a direct message explaining what I should do. This saved me an unimaginable amount of time. Now I will not get into what happened when the second LG VU phone came, lets just say I am the proud owner of a Black Berry Curve now.
Every experience with using Twitter for customer service may not work this perfect. One should never discuss secure information online for starters. It is also wise to remember that you have no information about the company employee you are communicating with. With that said, it still can still be a great way for initial contact and get FAQ's answered. Also, large corporations are continuing to hire people to work strictly on their social media sites, and it is possible to build a rapport with these individuals. This can be a great way to give immediate feed back about one's experience with a product.
As the popularity of Twitter grows, businesses will continue to use the site for direct communication with customers. Discounts, product news & developments, marketing, and customer service will all be accessible on one page. It seems that 140 characters continues to be just enough, to say a whole lot.
Social networking continues to be one of the most common tools we now use to communicate. The power of these websites for business purposes is still in the process of being discovered. I do believe that Twitter is on the forefront of this movement.
Jason, good blog post- this is is very useful information in many ways, and practical. Embracing social media etc., is wise in terms of communication and so applicable to business, moreover, these days it's a necessity to keep up with any competition.
Hey man,
Great topic and I agree with all of the points you make regarding the use of twitter in customer service. At one point I was trying to incorporate twitter into our organizational communications but unfortunately was told that due to the nature of our work, it would not be secure.
In any case, twitter is beginning to be commonly used in business, entertainment, and increasingly as a major Public Relations tool for organizations to better communicate with those they serve.
Peace and take care,
Darnell