I just bought a new cell phone – starting with an AT&T Pantech Matrix Pro before switching to an iPhone. My goal, beyond making phone calls, was to download emails from multiple email accounts, send text messages, and Twitter.

Guess what? I experienced configuration problems. No surprise there, what with a new phone and all. Besides, that’s what tech support is for.

In trying to solve my problems, though, I experienced an up close and personal view in how three companies – AT&T, Pantech, and Rackspace Email – use Twitter’s social media channel to their benefit...or in the case of one company, to its detriment.

Twittering for help

AT&T

I hit an initial stumbling block with my Matrix Pro phone when I couldn’t seem to find a a Twitterable application I could download to the phone.

No problemo. I called AT&T customer service to query the experts on what I should use. The reps jumped through hoops for me but had no answer.

No problemo. I sent out tweets to two of AT&T’s three Twitter accounts (found on their website) seeking enlightenments…and received no replies back. Nada. No feeling the love from AT&T in the Twitterverse.

I call that a problemo.

Pantech Matrix Pro

Time for Plan B. I discovered Pantech Matrix Pro had a Twitter account too (@matrixpro) so I tweeted them a detailed question about my situation (as detailed as you can be with 140 characters)…and woo hoo(!) heard back in about 30 minutes from them with a workable application (as well as one of my followers with another alternative).

Problem fixed…except for my continuing iPhone envy. Buyer’s remorse captured me and I ended up exchanging the Matrix Pro for an iPhone.

Psst…nothing wrong with the Matrix Pro but I love the iPhone more. It’s a happy marriage between us but I’d recommend the Matrix Pro if you want a PDA, non-iPhone phone and don’t want to pay Blackberry prices.

On to Rackspace Email Twittering

Got myself going on the iPhone except I encountered a few config problems with email and wireless syncing to my email server.

No problemo.

I made a phone call to Rackspace Email and they solved my iPhone sync issues lickety split. Except while on the phone I mentioned another issue I had with Outlook and discovered it was related to a Rackspace plug-in. And that started a whole ‘nuther support ticket. The new issue proved to be complex and required escalating the issue to second level.

No problemo, though, because the Rackspace Email gurus stayed on the case and fixed the problem. Yippee! I got so excited I tweeted out to the world at large (okay my 2,200-some followers) about how wonderful Rackspace Email is.

Guess what? Rackspace monitors Twitter. Within 30 minutes, Rackspace Email (@mailtrust, their old name) tweeted me back giving me love. I gushed some more about them to my followers.

AT&T’s missed opportunity

Fast forward to yesterday and Natalie Petouhoff, a.k.a. @drnatalie in the Twittersphere and a Forrester analyst. She tweeted about some pending work regarding AT&T relative to social media analysis and her post went out to her 1,800-some followers. I’m one of them and I shared my saga of woe with her about not ever getting an AT&T response to my tweets.

Natalie said she passed on my comments to AT&T and they ended up tweeting me at warp speed, all eager to help me solve my problem. Oh yeah, I heard from an independent AT&T PR rep too.

Did I feel AT&T’s chirpy love? Well, no. They ignored my first tweets and it took a Forrester analyst to get their attention on my behalf.

Who won and lost

Okay. So let’s recap the scorecard on my customer service experience with these three companies with Twitter as a social media channel.

Pantech Matrix Pro. Ka ching…winner.
Rackspace Email. Ka ching…winner.
AT&T. Not so much.

Hmmm. Did I mention all of this played out publicly to

My 2,200 followers + Natalie’s 1,800-some = 4,000-some folks.

The punch line...

Why Social Media is important

Here’s the punch line, folks. Whether your company is participating in social media channels or not, many of your customers are. And what they have to say about you can extend out to potentially 1000s of other folks, one post at a time.

And just a short sidebar….Despite my criticisms about AT&T’s mishandling of their Twitter stream, I’m a satisfied, long-term customer because they give me great coverage and service. One customer service stumble alone isn’t going to undo years of the goodwill they’ve accumulated with me.

On the other hand, enough other AT&T customers are not oh so happy . Thus keeping a high happy quotient with someone who already is becomes that much more beneficial…especially because I’m willing to gush about good service.

It’s customer service smarts and their phone reps already know it because they jump through hoops to help me. Their social media managers just need to learn the same lesson.

Social media + CRM = Social CRM

How do you monitor postings across diverse social media channels? You can monitor them one at a time or get efficient by implementing a social CRM solution that can monitor your channels in aggregate.

I just posted an article about Social CRM solution – The integration of social media with traditional CRM that summaries what you need to know about SCRM solutions.

Let me know your own experiences with companies using social media channels for customer support.

Last sidebar…I use my real name when I tweet so I’m findable if AT&T wanted to. So imagine if they saw my tweet, opened up my customer record in their CRM system, saw just how wowsy long I’ve been their customer, and used that information in helping them craft their response.

Now that would be using the full power of social media + CRM.

Contact me so Intellicore Design Consulting can help you be a Rackspace Email and a Pantech when it comes to mining social media channels.