'Tis the Season?

Customer service, again? Definitely, I know I've written on this before, but in the crunch of December retail and shopping mania, the importance of "showing well" online shines through more than ever. People have mobile devices and they EXPECT service through Facebook and Twitter.  Did you see that? They expect service and an avenue to comment on performance, not just "We think it would be a sweet idea if..."  I read an article just yesterday on Twitter soon being used as THE call center for companies. Imagine that? (See Article)  And here's another example of how reliant the average consumer has become on social media as the conduit for information - because it should be both pertinent and timely! Have a look, my posting today will be short because to get the gist of what's trending here, you need to read this...

Article on 15k race review and goof ups on social media by the race director

Now this could be any customer for any product. This was a running race. More importantly, the story dips into the sentiment of those that have the spend power. That's you and I. As consumers, we choose where we buy, so treat us right. Give us a real forum to learn more, express our opinions and vent if necessary.  If we vent, address it honestly. We understand mistakes are made, but fess up and make good on them! And if you grow to include social media in your customer service strategy like you should, it is not to be "censored" so as to only contain the rosy and complimentary posts. The season for social media customer service is here. Fa la la la la, la la la la!

1-800-NOT-COOL

Remember when it was neat to see a clever vanity phone number? Like back in the 1980s? We caution our franchisees against this practice on their online media for a few reasons...

It's tough to type the vanity name into a phone these days because many new phones don't correlate the letters to the numbers on the keys anymore. The old Ma Bell standard of knowing a phone number by its "exchange name" is gone, and thus the need for the letters on the keys. If you're at a loss (or just too young) to know what I'm talking about, see this... (exchange names explained) My phone number growing up began with OVERBROOK.

People can't relate to the letters because even SMS texting has gone away from being a number-key driven activity. Our SIGNARAMA stores were very used to claiming "7446" as their last four digits because that equates to "SIGN."  Neat if you knew that or could figure it out, but most customers can't make that leap these days, so why ask them to?

Have a look at your website, email signature files, heck, redo your printed literature to reflect what people know and do today. Use the numbers not the letters. The vanity phone number concept has lost its cool.

Hootsuite

I've been a Hootsuite user for 3 years, this application is a "control center" for your social media sites. It's a web based app, so it works on a PC, a Mac, and there are Android and iPhone apps available for use on your phones. It is a free system that works well for one user to manage their social sites. They also have a for-pay version that allows multiple people from our office to control our various Twitter and Facebook accounts. If you have Twitter, Facebook and Linkedin accounts, you can post messages and updates to either or all of these sites through one place - Hootsuite. Each of your social sites is represented as a tab across the top of the screen. When you click on a tab, you get to select which components (called feeds) of that social media site you see. For example, Twitter users can choose to see the Home feed, a list of all incoming tweets from your followers, the tweets you have sent, your Direct Mails (DM) incoming and outgoing, and a list of any tweets in which your Twitter handle has been mentioned. It's neatly organized all on one page, a page you can rearrange or customize anytime you'd like! See below...

If you have information you'd like to share on your Linkedin, Facebook or Twitter sites simultaneously, that's easily done with Hootsuite. Post a message, links to other sites, photos or video and then decide which of your social sites will get it. Type message once and launch to all with one click of the SEND NOW button. A big convenience for those with multiple accounts.

Hootsuite also allows for scheduling of your messages. Let's assume you wanted to send a message tomorrow afternoon through Facebook or Twitter to coincide with an event. This message could be a reminder to others as to what they should prepare or bring to the event. You can schedule a message to be sent on a certain date at a particular time without you having to launch it right then - Hootsuite will do it for you! 

I recommend this app for franchisees and anyone trying to keep their social presence current. It is not recommended that you post every bit of info to all of your social sites. For example, hashtags are best on Twitter, longer messages are best on Facebook, etc. What a time saver Hootsuite can be, especially when you use the service on your mobile devices along with a desktop PC or Mac. Here's the website, download the free version and start organizing your social media efforts.

Hootsuite website

Momentum!

They will. I know it. Our franchisees in Australia and New Zealand are really digging into our Aussie Expo 2011. We brought so much "out of the box" material, things to discuss, new ideas, it will stick.  They will put many of the things we introduced into their businesses. It's exciting to be a part of it. I don't like the long trip, maybe that would be better if I flew business class!

ShopSIGNARAMA is a topic in need of smoothing over... franchisees here will experience what the USA already lived through last year. I think this year's conference will be a turning point for the material I brought. With Ray, Jim and Evan touting social media use and customer service prior to me rolling through a four-point plan for improvement, the chances are good more will become involved and get engaged. I look forward to more followers on Twitter, friends and such on Facebook, and connections on Linkedin.

The future is very bright for these franchisees. They are isolated from most of the world and they just plow through our program chasing their countrymen, some of the best performers in our system! I'm glad to see the positive impact our trip is making this year.