Why your business should be on Twitter
I recently experienced a great example of customer service on Twitter. It started when I complained about my web-hosting company (Earthlink) and mentioned that I was switching to Bluehost.
@basketsbybonnie responded to this post saying that she had been having problems with Earthlink as well and that she was considering moving her hosting to Network Solutions. Within a couple of hours both Bluehost and Network Solutions had responded to our discussion. Bluehost dropped in to say hi and Network Solutions also offered help if it was needed.
So why does this matter? To me it’s an indication of customer service. Yes, this was a marketing effort from both companies but it was on my terms and it was pleasant and unobtrusive. It also worked! Although it may not have changed my purchasing decision on the day of the exchange, it did give me a very positive impression of both companies. As a result of our short dialogue, I’m already happier with Bluehost and will be keeping Network Solutions in mind for future websites.
Where was Earthlink in all of this? I have no idea but they certainly weren’t involved in the hosting discussion and in my short search I was unable to find an Earthlink Twitter account. If Earthlink had been paying attention it would have been a great opportunity to try to resolve my issues with their services. Instead they missed out on that opportunity.
A lot of people are still skeptical about the value of Twitter but if your business isn’t participating it could be missing out on a vital opportunity for customer service (not to mention damage control).
Check out Adam Lee Design on Twitter.
March 1st, 2010 at 5:21 pm
Hear, here!
As much as many businesspeople, marketers, and communicators try to resist the Twitter trend, it’s fast becoming one of the best ways to stay connected to your clients. It’s effective, fast, and easy. Thus, it’s worth the time to get the gist of it and start using it. Stop resisting and start boosting your value as a company, brand, and service.
Thanks for the very relevant topic, Adam, and for relaying a great real-world example.
March 1st, 2010 at 5:32 pm
Thanks for the response Aly. I agree that many are missing out on the potential for connecting with and reaching out to customers. I think some people see it as a shallow fad and want nothing to do with it (I’ll admit that I used to be in that camp). The thing is, even if that turned out to be true, there’s a good chance that your customers are using it.
March 1st, 2010 at 5:26 pm
That was actually an affiliate you were dealing with and not an official Bluehost representative.
March 1st, 2010 at 7:26 pm
@Darren – Wow, I couldn’t even tell. Thanks for the info. That’s interesting because I actually became interested in Bluehost in the first place because of an affiliate. I don’t think this changes my point but it’s interesting to see affiliates working hard and making money through Twitter as well. Thanks for the tip.
March 2nd, 2010 at 8:07 am
Hi Adam! Your post makes a great point. I have used Network Solutions as an example of a business using Twitter in a positive way to connect with customers as well as potential new business.
During the Super Bowl, I tweeted my displeasure at GoDaddy’s sexist advertising and mentioned about why I chose Network Solutions. Not only was NetSol re-tweeting mine & other relevant tweets, they also offered a SuperBowl special for transferring to their hosting from other sites.
I “met” you when I was having issues with my website that was hosted by Earthlink. Their customer service was an epic fail as well as their presence on Social Media. Both Bluehost and NetSolCares reached out.
Used correctly, Twitter can be an invaluable tool for not only customer service but for sales and marketing as well!
March 2nd, 2010 at 9:52 am
Well said Bonnie.
I’m glad I’m not the only one that thinks the GoDaddy ads are disgusting.