People are becoming more and more comfortable with the idea that participating in the social media should be part of their key marketing strategy. But be careful - these same forums are also an outlet for someone who might be a disgruntled client.
And if the person posting the story has an interesting or unique way of telling their tale, the story will gain legs and not go away.
The story of Dave Carroll comes to mind. Mr. Caroll's bad experience with United Airlines, involving the mishandling of checked baggage, particularly his guitar, has become famous. This is because he wrote a song about it and posted it on You Tube.
The video, "United Breaks Guitars" has had over 7.3 million views, according to You Tube and has spawned a sequel. Moreover, the mainstream media and blogosphere have pounced on the story as well.
United's reputation has suffered as a result, and to paraphrase the Las Vegas slogan, "What happens on the Internet stays on the Internet." But more over, it spills off the Internet and into Main St.
A side beneficiary is the company who made Mr. Carroll's guitar, which has seen interest in its products increase as well.
The takeaway from this story - provide good, honest, timely and effective customer service to your clients. If someone is happy with your product, they could be your best sales force.
However, if someone feels wronged, the damage to your business could be everlasting. Remember, the story of job seekers who have unintended harm because of what they posted on line. This is worse, because someone not affiliated with your company is spreading the word that your business practices are not quite up to snuff.
