We shop at Lowe's fairly regularly and usually rate the in-store service from good to excellent. But last week, a couple of folks in the store really dropped the ball. That evening, I decided to go on Lowe's Facebook page and post a comment about what happened.
By 8 a.m. the following morning, my post had a reply from someone at Lowe's asking me to email them with the complete details. They provided the email address, asked me to use a specific subject line with a code so they could identify my message, and assured me that they wanted to research the situation and make sure it didn't happen again.
Yes, the service in the store had been poor. (Short version: I asked an employee if the store carried a product I was looking for, he replied, “I don't know,” and didn't offer to find out. The conversation went downhill from there.)
The customer service through social media was excellent.
My email (sent during regular business hours) got a response from the corporate office within an hour, and I had an email from the local store manager less than 24 hours later.
This is a classic lesson in how companies should use social media:
- Engage customers and don't be afraid of criticism.
- Make your Facebook page open so anyone can post (don't force people to “like” you before you'll talk with them).
- Answer questions promptly.
- Thank people who take the time to express praise and appreciation.
- Most important: If someone uses Facebook or another social media platform to lodge a complaint, take advantage of the opportunity to demonstrate how quickly you respond and recover.
A recent Forbes article reports that “Big Companies Aren't Using Social Media for Customer Service.” That's a big mistake.
Jacquelyn's latest book is Christian Business Almanac: The Ultimate Daily Guide for Kingdom-Driven Entrepreneurs and Leaders.
She is the author of the nonfiction books Simple Facts About Self-Publishing (Second Edition), Words to Work By: 31 devotions for the workplace based on the Book of Proverbs and Finding Joy in the Morning: You can make it through the night as well as the novel Choices (A Joyful Cup Story). With her husband, she is the co-creator of several coloring books for adults and the novelty My Book About series.
- Amazon is Cracking Down on Categories and Keywords - November 4, 2024
- Taylor Swift is Self-Publishing a Book. You Can, Too! - October 29, 2024
- Is How You Speak Distracting People from What You Say? - October 16, 2024
[…] saying nice things about you, but what about when they don’t? Do you have a plan to respond when your customers get mean on a social media platform? Scott Levy says you need to respond quickly, don’t get angry, be […]