There’s a lot of discussion about the relative value of social media. Is it worth the time and trouble?
Based on a recent experience, I can definitely say “yes.”
You see, Twitter helped me get a new refrigerator.
Here’s my condensed version of the worst customer service experience in my life.
My almost new fridge stopped working. It was under warranty, and I had service scheduled twice (only to have the technician not show up). Then I was told I had to wait another 10 days just to be on the technician’s schedule. (No guarantees he would actually show up, however.)
I had already been without a fridge for almost three weeks. I was tired of shopping almost daily and living out of a compact refrigerator. Fortunately I found the manufacturer’s customer service reps on Twitter and sent this message: “Pls. help. Fridge not working. Under warranty. Service no-shows 2x. Need to wait for another 10 days for technician.”
Took a few days, but things changed big time.
The Twitter-based customer service person asked me to choose a replacement refrigerator, which was delivered in a few days. Problem solved. No more rotting food.
So let’s hear for those powerful 140 characters.
