I’m making another change to the 7kindsofmind this week, I’m introducing Hi Tech Mondays – I may be talking about my newest app obsession or something on social media that caught my eye. If it’s techy, it’s Monday.
So this week I’m interested in the ways in which customers use social media to communicate with businesses. The relative new-ness of social media as a method of formal communication means that the relationship between businesses and consumers is ever evolving. The idea that every user can have an equal voice means that well-known figures as well as the everyman get to have their say, and as such businesses can be built upon word of mouth, but this time it’s the entire world having a conversation. I’ve experienced both sides of the coin, as a customer trying to work out why it takes 7 months for a Scottish brewery to deliver my brother’s Christmas present (and when I say Christmas, I’m talking about 2012. Seriously. Those guys are useless.), or as a representative of my employer sometimes replying to Twitter questions. This has been a fairly new thing, but it means that we can still answer people’s questions about our theatre and our hardworking Marketing Officer can actually enjoy her weekend.
I have always been interested in keeping up with what is being said about my employers, whether it’s their Facebook page or Twitter account, just to see what kind of feedback our company gets. It’s nice to know if you’re doing your job properly. These are not always positive comments, sometimes people expect the impossible or are simply having a bad day, where any slight inconvenience feels like the end of the world. Sadly, I do not control the weather in an open air venue or create a new product on the spot that will fit one person’s very specific requirements. I’ll definitely do my best. Yes, a person is more likely to speak up if they are dissatisfied by an experience, but that doesn’t mean that it is all bad.
When you work in customer service, there is nothing more rewarding than a person making a point of thanking you for the assistance that you provided, it really makes my day. Which is why I strive to be good at my job – if my customers are happy, then I’m happy. The mind boggles as to why people put no effort into their work and then complain that they receive very little in return. A positive attitude is key. There have been times when, reading a Twitter feed or Facebook comments, I have recognised the person discussing their experience and felt that their enjoyment of a performance is a credit to the many people across all departments working hard every day to make sure they have a good night out. That is the whole point, after all.
7 Kinds of Mind 