Customer Service and Blogs

There is an interesting trend of companies using microblogging services like Twitter to monitor customer complaints. One example mentioned in the Boston Globe is that of a customer who griped about his HDTV reception via twitter during an NBA playoff and was surprised by a response from Comcast within minutes. Within 24 hours a technician fixed the problem. (Link to article). This is one example of how customer service is changing in an age when a single disgruntled customer can blog a complaint which can soon turn viral.  For organizations , this is an opportunity to use the same technology to turn disgruntled customers into raving fans.  

Retail Organizations seeking to listen to the voice of its customers should be tuning in to blogs as a means of detecting complaints early and reacting to them before they amplify over the internet. Southwest Airlines tracks Twitter comments and monitors a Facebook group and interacts with bloggers so it can respond in a personal way to complaints. It also uses the service to inform their customers about deals among other things.

One of the ways that retailers can add Social Computing capabilities to their websites is by using the Windows Live Platform. The Windows Live Platform is focused on providing developers and businesses with everything they need to build on top of Windows Live services. Microsoft is providing APIs for core Live services - such as Windows Live Contacts, Windows Live Messenger, Live ID, Search, and Virtual Earth - so that developers can access and use these services in the applications they create. Read More about the Windows Live Platform