Vizio TV, Hilton, Carbonite and the Power of Social Media

Today, through social media, consumers are now empowered to have their voices heard. Companies are talking notice. From bloggers to viral videos, consumers' voices can be heard in ways that weren't available just a few years ago. Musician Dave Carroll's "United Breaks Guitars" story, illustrates the impact we can have. His video has received over 10 MILLION views to date. It's catapulted his career and created one of the best "real world" business stories of recent times. Click here for the full story, and a variety of relevant links, including a link to the video. What are people saying about your company on Yelp and other online reviewing programs? It's important to be aware of how your business is being perceived in the online world.

I believe we all can agree to the importance of how quality customer service impacts our buying decisions. In addition to my recent positive VIZIO experience, this past weekend I encountered exceptional customer service from Hilton Hotels. A manager went out of her way for us. This level of caring does not go unappreciated or unnoticed by me. I'm a huge Hilton fan and will stay in its properties whenever I can. Through the years I have stayed at many Hilton brand hotels, I've always discovered a consistent level of quality that keeps me as a returning customer.

Conversely, yesterday I spent two hours working with customer service in another country from Carbonite, an online computer backup provider. After spending this time, it was determined that my situation needed to be escalated to more experienced technicians. (This became apparent to me after about 5 minutes.) I was then told they would get back to me in 2-3 days. If you had a problem with a client could you tell them you would get back to them in 2 to 3 days? I'm thinking my client's would fire me, with good reason, with that answer.