Social Media feels good because someone is finally listening to us.
And they are responding.
And we don’t have to wait three days for an automated reply.
People are talking to people, business are listening to their customers and the primal need to be heard, even about the most trivial matters, is being met.
Last week I wrote a piece about how the fitness club Equinox lost me as a customer because of its terrible customer service. At the heart of that argument was one simple fact, the company wasn’t listening to me, even when I was being very explicit about my needs. It isn’t always easy to be clear about our needs. So when we do find a way to articulate them, it is important that the circle is squared by someone hearing them. A few years ago, I would have chalked my experience with Equinox up to tough luck. “Oh well, I got screwed and there is nothing I can do about it, no way for me to vent my frustrations, no outlet for me to express myself.”
Now there is. And being listened to, in real-time, does away with the need for voice mails, email messages or call centers. And certainly there is no “Can I please speak to your supervisor?” I don’t want to speak to your supervisor!
I want your supervisor to speak to ME!
Check this recent AP Story out of Chicago:
When Tony Bosco saw mostly negative reviews about the restaurant Wow Bao, he Tweeted: “Going to ‘business’ dinner (at)Wow Bao. Can any1 tell me if it’s going to suck as much reviews suggest.”
And almost immediately he got a response from an unexpected source — BaoMouth, the official Twitter feed of Wow Bao, an upscale fast food place in Chicago. The restaurant offered him a coupon to find out for himself, on the house.
“I would say it made it a little more exciting,” said Bosco, 34. “That immediate interaction.”
It is the combination of
- being responded to in the first place
- the immediacy of that outreach
- the authenticity of that outreach
When these things are combined, it packs a powerful customer service wallop. Frankly, businesses don’t need to do much beyond this for the time being. People are still so shocked that they are actually being listened to that their problems and requests seem secondary once they get the attention of the company or service they are interacting with. There will come a time when businesses need to do more than just listen and react. But for now, I think we can all breathe a little easier understanding why all this social media stuff feels so good. Can’t we just enjoy that for now?
Image Courtesy of kevindooley on Flickr
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