Week 2 Part A: Communication Between Business & Consumer -- An Hour is Too Long

 An Hour is Too Long: The Importance of Social Media to Business Today


Business has evolved over time, as the Online Experience has evolved. Prior to the World Wide Web, one had to look up a business in the Yellow Pages (by subject) in their Phone book, call the business (sometimes wait for the line to be open, and receive a busy signal), and continue to call in order to reach the business in order to ask a question or place an order. Orders placed were typically hand-packaged by the business owner or their employees, driven to the local Post Office, and shipped. Money was collected via a check or money order that was mailed to the business, or hand-carried into the store front. Ah, yes, storefronts. Businesses had these buildings at one time, where you could actually drive up to the store to purchase a good or service. Yes, these still exist, but the jest I am making here is to say that Online Business is the direction in which the world is heading today.

 

With the advent of Social Media Platforms, the World of Business was turned on its head. Not only can businesses reach an entire world market with a few minutes of typing and posting, consumers can also reach said businesses with the same keystrokes. With one poor Yelp review, a chain-reaction can be sparked, and a business can lose their reputation overnight. On the converse, if a business is attentive to their Social Media platforms, and the interactions with their customers, they also have the opportunity to flourish overnight.

 

The intimacy with once daunting mega-corporations is another interesting benefit of the Social Media uprising. I can have a poor customer experience at Target, post a comment on their Facebook page, and can expect a response within a few hours from a company representative – on the thread! Additionally, when I make this negative comment on the Target Facebook page, my friends who pay attention to my Facebook activity notice that I made a comment and track it down. I have now let all my friends know that I am not pleased with Target. However, if Target is on top of their game, and replies back to my thread within minutes of my posting, then they have the opportunity to correct the mistake in real-time. I can then share the post with my friends and praise the company for their quick resolution.

 

When I interact with a company, and I receive either terrible or incredible service, I make sure to sing their praises online. With the advent of Google analytics, it is as easy as typing in “Target bad reviews” or “Target good reviews” and you have an abundance of information right at your fingertips, organized by Social Media platform. I am very specific about my interaction with the company in my reviews. I specify with whom I interacted, why I am praising or punishing, and what the company could have done better to meet my expectations (or how they exceeded them).

 

As a business owner, I would interact with the public on a real-time basis. Of course, sleep and food are needed, but aside from that, it is imperative to reply to public feedback on Social Media, whether positive or negative feedback, as soon as possible. This is because in the time it takes for you to type a response, thousands, or millions, of people are reading the initial posting. When replying to the public, it is important to use ‘Active Listening’ skills:

 

  •        Acknowledge the sentiment – “What I hear you saying is….”
  •        If negative, apologize directly – “At Target, we strive to serve our customers. I’m sorry to hear you had a negative experience at one of our stores…”
  •        If positive, offer thanks directly – “At Target, we strive to serve our customers. I’m so happy to hear you had a great experience at one of our stores…”
  •        If negative, offer a solution, whether immediate or in the future
  •        If positive, reassure the audience that this is the Standard of Excellence for your Company

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