The customer isn’t always right in social either.
The corporate adoption of Twitter as a customer service tool has been like putting their customer service hotline on speaker phone. Rule #1 seems to be, ABP, or Always Be Positive- to the extent that it can harm the company’s reputation.
In the real world, good corporations deal with customer’s professionally. The best companies arm their front lines with well informed people who are empowered to make decisions and do the right thing. But what if the customer is simply being an arrogant ass or taking unwarranted shots at employees. Again, great companies stand behind their employees, shutting down the customer, remaining professional, and letting the customer have a temper tantrum. When this happens on the phone, a couple people may hear it. When this happens in an airport, a few hundred people may see it (unless its posted to youtube) But when this happens on Twitter, millions can see the exchange.
Why the fear?
I Have No Responsibilities Here Whatsoever – This great quote from A Few Good Men pretty much sums up the reason. When big companies turn over their twitter account to an intern, what you get is lip service rather than customer service. The intern has almost no ability to make things right, or tell the customer that she is wrong. The last thing the intern wants is for someone higher up in the corporation to read about an exchange that was less than pretty. Companies need to put their stars in charge of the Twitter account, not the company’s least experienced.
Your spine as your marketing tool
No matter what side you fall on for the Southwest/Kevin Smith seat-gate, you have to give it to Southwest for coming out in clear support of its employee’s actions that day. They earned points in my book for standing behind what happened. I’m certain there were “teachable moments” that day which are being discussed internally, but Southwest said very loudly, “we gave our employees this authority, and we support the result of that responsibility.” I appreciate that respect and Southwest is still a top airline IMO.
The customer isn’t always right. Your product isn’t right for everyone. No employee deserves to be attacked by a customer. But, all too often, corporate tweets swerve to the side of being positive for fear of being retweeted. Communicating with an intent to not be heard by others is not adopting the medium- its being afraid of it.
