Kevin Smith’s Twitter tirade about SouthWest Airlines when he was asked to disembark from a  flight due to his weight is an example of what Twitter can do to a brand if not well managed.  Kevin Smith’s followers (1,669,714 at last count) read, retweeted and commented on his furious Tweets about Southwest, and the damage to the brand was clear.  While Kevin Smith may have more reach than the average Tweeter, what used to be dinner party conversation between a group of friends can now be international, far-reaching and immediate.   For the first time, consumers using social media and other user-generated content mediums have shifted the power away from the corporation to themselves.

Rumour has it if you Tweet a complaint to Telstra, it will get dealt with immediately – or at least more quickly than via the phone. I’m not sure how true this is -  here’s what consumers are currently saying about Telstra on Twitter – there’s very little response to customers.  As a contrast,  Westpac’s handling of individual consumer queries and complaints on Twitter is pretty good – friendly Tweets, timely responses plus each Tweet is signed with a name.  As a best practice example, there’s also a great case study here from seomoz on how well Comcast is using Twitter for brand management and customer service.

Search Twitter for any of the major brands and you’ll find comments, bouquets and brickbats.  According to a recent Neilsen survey, 90% of consumers trust opinions on products from people they know, while 70% trust product reviews even if they don’t know the person.  So if you are being complained about on Twitter, most people reading the complaint will believe it.  What are your customers saying about your company on Twitter, and how are you handling it? If they’re complaining, are you responding?  If your company is not being mentioned, try searching on your industry or product – could be eye-opening.

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