§ Subscribe

Alternatives

Enter your email address to receive blog updates by email:

Delivered by FeedBurner

§ Utterz

§ Podcast

• For Immediate Release
  A weekly podcast for professional communicators from Shel Holtz, ABC and Neville Hobson, ABC.
  Podcast Feed
  Vote for FIR

---

§ PR Search

---

View blog authority

---

§ Places

• Shel's link blog
• Blogs I read
• Holtz Communication + Technology
• IABC
• Ragan Communications
• Society for New Communications Research

---

§ Dead Trees

• How to Do Everything with Podcasting
  
  by Shel Holtz with Neville Hobson
  
  
  
  
• Blogging for Business
  
  by Shel Holtz and Ted Demopoulos
  
  
  
  
• Corporate Conversations
  
  by Shel Holtz
  
  
  
  
• Public Relations on the Net
  
  by Shel Holtz
  
  
  
  

---

§ License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons License.

---

Technorati: Blogs that link here

Customer Service

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Comcast brings customer service to Twitter

Share This!

Scott Monty mentioned in an email to me that Comcast has launched a customer service initiative on Twitter. Dubbed “Comcast Cares,” it seems that the effort is aimed at finding people who are tweeting their complaints about Comcast and offering to help. Whoever is leading the effort then engages in conversations with those to whom she or he is reaching out.

Reviewing the 21 pages of tweets from Comcast going back to April 6 reveals a long list of replies to individuals:

As with any company, the words need to be backed up with action, but if Comcast has taken a page from the Dell playbook, this could be an outstanding example of using social media to improve reputation through proactive customer service.

Twitter doesn’t have to be mainstream for this outreach effort to succeed. The word will spread from those who experience it. Using Twitter to seed word-of-mouth by taking genuine care of customers could be a brilliant move by a much maligned company.

Thursday, March 20, 2008

Starbucks adopts IdeaStorm concept

Share This!

The Dell IdeaStorm was a revolutionary concept in customer relations. The idea was simple: Take the concept of Digg, tweak it a bit here and there, and unleash it so customers and employees can submit ideas. Anyone can then comment on any idea and vote to either promote or demote it. Those that rose to the top are then moved into action. To date, nearly 9,000 ideas have been submitted, attracting almost 69,000 comments. The ideas have been promoted almost 614,000 times. Some of the current top-promoted ideas include offering computers with no extra software and standardizing power cables for all laptops.

The IdeaStorm concept is so good I wondered when we would see other companies adopt it. That question was answered yesterday when Starbucks unveiled its version, a nearly identical site called ”My Starbucks Idea.” Here’s the main functions of the Dell IdeaStorm site:

And here’s the same functionality at My Starbucks Idea:

Which is not to accuse Starbucks of ripping off a Dell property, but rather to praise them for adopting a good idea. Knowing some of the folks at Dell, I’m sure they’re feeling flattered that the concept they initiated is gaining traction.

The launch of My Starbucks Idea comes as Starbucks is struggling as a population facing recession tightens its belt, which for many means foregoing a four-dollar coffee in favor of a one-dollar cup of joe. The site was introduced at its shareholders meeting yesterday, along with several other initiatives—such as a coffee blend to be ground fresh in stores, loyalty cards, French-press coffee and a bolstered green message—all of which follows a highly-publicized three-hour shutdown for store personnel training designed to bring consistency and high quality back to the company’s many, ubiquitous locations.

One improvement Starbucks could make to the site—which would also emulate the approach Dell has taken—is to highlight the ideas that have been submitted on the home page rather than make someone click a link that reads, “Check out the latest ideas now!” (Not to mention, I’m sick of people online telling me to “check out” anything at all.) Still the ideas submitted so far—after only a day—have merit. Free wireless Internet (already available at some of Starbucks’ competitors), coffee classes for those interested in learning more about the drink, and a free coffee on your birthday are among the early entries earning points and attracting comments.

Two companies using the IdeaStorm concept certainly doesn’t make this a movement, but it does represent a doubling of the number of companies employing the model. I suspect now it won’t be too long before it doubles again. For communicators working in companies trying to bolster customer relations and improve innovation, it’s a concept worth taking to management.

Monday, January 14, 2008

My fax cover later to Virgin Mobile USA

Share This!

UPDATE #3—I received permission to run the email I got from Virgin Mobile USA:

We apologize for the inconvenience the suspension of your son’s account has caused you. We came across your blog stating you were having trouble restoring your services after a suspension related to credit card charges. Your son’s account has been restored after the account was reviewed. Virgin Mobile attempts to protect all customers from the possibility of credit card fraud and we were concerned about the large amount that was being charged to your credit card each time it was used. Since Virgin Mobile is unable to verify a person’s identity visually, we protect our customers by suspending the service and requesting proof of identity. This way, if there is any fraudulent credit card activity, we can put a stop to it quickly. Again, we apologize for any troubles and inconvenience this has caused you or your son. Please feel free to contact me directly if you have any further questions or concerns.

UPDATE #2—I got back from lunch to find an email from Virgin Mobile USA. They had reviewed the account and restored Ben’s phone service—as a result of this blog post, not the fax I sent. The note was personal and courteous, but I still have some issues with the company’s policies, which I articulated in my reply. I’m waiting for permission to post the text of the email here.

UPDATE:—I sent this fax at about 10 p.m. last night to a 24x7 customer service center. 6:45 this morning, the account is still suspended.

I sent the following fax cover letter to Virgin Mobile USA after a seriously frustrating encounter with “customer service.” The message speaks for itself.

Per your request, I am faxing my driver’s license and the fronts and backs of both credit cards I have used to “top off” the account I established for my son.

The phone number on the account is xxx-xxx-xxxx
The access code is xxxxxx

I am confounded about the need for this. Your web site invited me to use a credit card to top off the phone, and as a result – as near as I can understand from the convoluted explanations I received from your customer service represntatives – the account was suspended. Nowhere else in the universe of ecommerce is such nonsense inflicted on customers. At Amazon, eBay, you name it, I can use any of my credit cards without fear of account suspension. The very notion that I’ve had to go through this photocopying and faxing exercise in order to get you to take my money is the height of absurdity.

My son is in the U.S. Army, stuck at a mobilization base in preparation for a second tour in Iraq. His phone is his only link home, and he has that link only for the few weeks he’ll remain in this country. I expect his account to be reactivated immediately now that I have complied with your policies.

Please contact me immediately if there are any problems or issues.

Shel Holtz

Virgin Mobile USA. Where customers come last.