Tweet Your Frustration

Catherine Paneral

Jour 4460

Blog Twelve

During this semester I realized how important social media is in public relations, specifically Twitter. It is a fantastic tool for sharing news articles and blog links. I’ve recently experienced the huge role Twitter plays in customer service.

The other day my Internet was sucking. BAD. So I Tweeted my frustration to the company. Within the hour my Internet provider had Tweeted me back apologizing for the inconvenience I was experiencing and asked me to direct message them so we could work out the issue.  It didn’t take long to locate the problem the problem I was having and they sent out a representative with a new modem the same day. It was awesome. In return I Tweeted my appreciation to the company and deleted my rude complaint Tweet.

Handling my issue through the customer service offered via Twitter was so much better than sitting on the phone forever talking to someone with a heavy accent who would have probably transferred me around to someone who could help me with my issue. I liked that I didn’t have to wait on hold for long periods of time. I could be productive with all the other items on my to-do list while I waited for a response Tweet.

Twitter makes everything better. Many companies are focusing their customer service on social media because everyone can see it. Before Twitter if I was having an issue with a company I could just vent to my friends about it and sit on the phone, waiting my turn in line for the next available representative. So 2005. Public Tweets are responded to more immediately because the company doesn’t want your negative statement to be left there, growing in fury, for all to see. If they can correct the issue immediately for all to see then it is a point for them. Who doesn’t love and appreciate faster service? 

If you haven’t tried it yet, I honestly recommend Tweeting your frustrations the next time you encounter an issue. Do it as an experiment. See how long it takes for that company to respond to your Tweet, if they do at all. If the company representative is able to resolve your issues, make sure you do your part by publicly Tweeting an appreciation post. It can play in your favor. One time I ordered some tacos to-go and the restaurant forgot to put one in the bag. I Tweeted them and guess what? They apologized, DMed me and sent me a voucher worth TWO free tacos! It was awesome.

Social media can really help businesses improve their customer service which in turn can possibly prevent even bigger future problems which makes the PR professionals role much easier in the end…at least for that one day.