By Cheryl Higley
Social media as a marketing tool has yet to take hold in the snow and ice industry, if the results of the recent Snow Business State of the Industry are any indication (66% of respondents said they don’t use social media as a marketing tactic).
For an industry that has long relied on word-of-mouth advertising as a selling tool, moving to social media to get the word out about your company and engage existing and potential clients would seem like a logical progression.
I “like” several snow and ice management companies and am “friends” with several SIMA members either on a professional or personal (and sometimes both) level. In the past week, I saw the powerful impact social media channels can have on a company, with very different results.
The positive: A friend who owns a landscape supply company posted that topsoil would soon be ready after spring’s drenching rains set him back. He asked his 188 Facebook friends: “Are you in need?” I replied that I (or rather my husband, who has the green thumb in the family) was. Less than 12 hours later, the company called to let me know I was No. 2 on the list, quoted me a price and put me on the delivery list. Customer service at its best – and all stemming from a Facebook post.
The negative: I live in a small community, where I’m active in many school and community organizations. News spreads quickly here—never mind when something hits Facebook.
Last week a friend launched a scathing Facebook post detailing an experience she had with the plumber she had used for eight years. She was told that her job was too small for them to squeeze her in and that she should be grateful that they have even bothered to come out to do her menial jobs in the past. That post had the potential to be seen by 64 Facebook friends—all, I’m guessing, who may need a plumber some day. Based on the comments her friends posted, there’s a high likelihood he won’t get the call. Same week, different company: a friend with 473 friends had a similar problem and a similar Facebook reaction.
According to a PeopleMetrics’ survey, on average, “an actively disengaged customer will tell three more people to avoid a company and its services.” Losing four customers should make you sweat; but consider the damage done by a company’s poor customer service efforts and the impact Facebook and other social media channels can have.
So what’s the lesson? I see two:
- Hell hath no fury like an angry housewife scorned; and
- Social media spreads news like wildfire. Put those two together, and you have trouble.
Here’s hoping you have good processes in place to avoid the same customer service pitfalls—and that you’ll consider the positive impact social media can have on your company and take a look at the possibilities.
Cheryl Higley is Editor of Snow Business Magazine.
