Week 2 Part A: Blog Post

Social media has paved the way for businesses of all kinds, ranging from large well known businesses to small mom and pop shops the ability to gain a following online.  Before the time of social media if there was an issue with a specific business your only choice was to call their toll free number, send them an email or to mail them a letter. Just recently, my fiance made a purchase online and was concerned about where his product was as he had not received a confirmation email. My initial thought was to check their website to see what options were given to contact them which was to send them an email. Not wanting to wait I happened to see that their website mentioned they were on FaceBook and I was able to directly message them on messenger and they responded promptly and resolved my issue within 30 minutes. 

Personally, I have never commented on a product on social media but I have commented on a business which was Wal-Mart. When sharing a comment on social media to review a product or business, the best thing to do is to be honest as to many people share false stories to slam a business but also make sure that your comment is appropriate as people of all ages will have access to what you write. 

If I had my own business I would try and review all of the feedback that I received. When dealing with negative comments, I do think it's important to remember the customer is not always right but still there is a need to handle them with respect/class as others will be able to see. For positive reviews, I would make sure to thank the customer for their business/kind words and also make sure to relay the reviews that are directed towards my staff reach them. During my employment at Wal-Mart, there was numerous times that regular customers would approach management or write a review online and the message would never be passed onto me. The worst thing that you can do is withhold information from your employees that make them feel they are doing a good job with the customers.

The ability given to us to choose the response time for solutions has changed dramatically over time, a solution that is catered to anyone. As we move more and more into the online world we can expect continued changes on how we interact with businesses now and in the future. Managing a business it's important that you have a strong online presence and that you are helping customers if they are having an issue with your product. Make sure that your employees are getting the credit they deserve when they are singled out in a review, which can lead to an increase in employee morale.