About three years ago I bought a SiriusXM satellite radio for my new car. Once installed and ready to go you have to call to activate your subscription. The automated system this company used to activate the radio was virtually useless. This system would make you think Siri on the iPhone a mind reader. You couldn't just type in the identification information from you radio into your phone. The system has you say the numbers and letters. The thing is I don't have an accent or a speech impediment, so the system should work correctly. After about six attempts I decided to navigate my way back to the main menu and wait on hold to talk to a live person. After about a thirty minute wait on hold a customer service person answer and inform me that the phone call may be recorded. I first complain to the customer service person by saying "the automated system is useless" and "why do they have it if it doesn't work?" He apologized and helped me activate my satellite radio.
I've never used social media to communicate a problem with a company. I like to contact a company directly if possible. I've noticed that liking companies on Facebook leads to mini advertisements similar to my likes.
I do believe that social media has a significant impact on keeping customers happy and gaining new customers through "word of mouth" via social media. I have an indifferent experience because I have not complained or praised a company through social media. Should I communicate future grievances through social media to let all my friends or acquaintances know how I feel about my experience with a certain company? Or is it better to complain directly to the company and on social media? I think now it may be better to complain directly and through social media with whether or not the company satisfied my problem. If I complained on a social media site about my experience with SiriusXM would it have fix my problem any faster? Probably not, but I'm sure they would have sent me a survey through e-mail or an automated survey by phone. The company periodically sends out surveys through e-mail.
Brian,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you, I prefer person-to-person contact. Can't stand those automated things. They never seem to understand no.
I haven't used social media to complain or praise a company either -- except unknown to me after ordering a card table and chairs from an online company and suddenly I had liked them on Facebook. I had opened an account as part of a former job requirement but hadn't used it once. I got an email to Facebook to learn I had liked the company. Intersting since the package hadn't even arrived yet. The price you pay for being a novice and having only one email address.
Who knows, some day social media may be the only way we have to contact businesses.
Sometimes having things like that can be complicated to start off, Its better to have an mp3 player or a friend aside. Using social media could take longer than going direct to customer service. Going to customer service might sound slow, but at least someone from the company could hear your problem.
ReplyDelete