About 15 years ago before social media took off, I used AT&T for my wireless service. I had a problem in that they double charged me for all my long distance calls. This happened more than once. Pretty obvious that it was a mistake, but I could not seem to explain it well enough on the phone to the customer service representative in India. They didn't remove the charges and of course I swore I'd never use AT&T again.
I cancelled my service and switched to another carrier. While that solved my billing problem, I was not satisfied. It was like leaving a room angry and gently closing the door. I felt others should be warned so I filed a complaint with the BBB. Who knows if anyone noticed it. Today, I would have just posted on YouTube or Facebook.
It's rare anymore when I have that kind of negative experience. It's the opposite. Not long ago I posted a favorable review of a hotel on Trip Advisor in Oahu. I felt it was a good value and wanted to share. The hotel manager commented on my post and thanked me for my review. Her comments made me feel like I mattered. That simple positive reinforcement was enough to make me want to book with them again.
For my own business, I hope to respond to comments on social media by showing that I am listening and what my customer says is important. Even if it is a problem that is not solvable, I would hope to make a connection. Sometimes just acknowledgement is enough to gain loyalty.
Regarding your AT&T story, I can see why you were unsatisfied. It's always frustrating to not know if your complaints or comments were seen. That's something I think social media has really improved upon with businesses: You know that there's somebody behind the page reading them, and in many cases, responding to them, putting the "social" in social media. Just knowing that someone is reading your comments can be extremely gratifying.
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