Social Media = Positive Customer Service

If I were a company using Twitter. I would so want you to have a happy ending.

My little boy wants to be a transformer for Halloween. Specifically Bumblebee.
And the dad in our world is one awesome Dad with a capitol D. In the past he's dressed up as Willy Wonka while the rest of us did other Chocolate Factory Characters. He's also been the Joker, Tweedle-Dee (to my Tweedle-Dumb), Batman, and of course a Sexy Vampire. So what do you think he'll be this year....?

(In your best James Earl Jones Voice....)

Optimus Prime.
Oh yeah. You know what I'm talkin'bout.

Being the frugal mom that I am, I searched around and found an adult OP costume at the best price I could find. AND... *BONUS*! I found the costume on ToysRUs.com for $45, but there was a $10 coupon if you signed up with BillMeLater.com... Total no-brainer. I've seen Bill Me Later as an option before and lately I've even seen them on twitter and participating in some blog campaigns...

BillMeLater.com
I literally thought to myself, since I've seen them around on twitter I'll bet they will be able to help me if I have any questions? Plus, I counted no less than 4 different ways to contact their customer support.

From the online chat bubbles on their site to their Twitter account: @BMLDeals... and a toll free phone number on the site as well as a real mailing address... (I know.. who does that anymore?)

My point: instead of assuming the worst: I believed (due to their presence in Social Media) that they would be thrilled to solve any issue or question I might have with their service.

Here's the funny part... the $10 'coupon' didn't show up on the ToysRUs bill? Huh I thought? So I sent a chat bubble directly on the BillMeLater site. They answered, oh that's a new campaign and the discount will show up on your BML bill.... oh? Okay...

One day later, the bill showed up in my inbox but the discount apparently got lost? This time I tweeted directly @BMLdeals. Get this... Heather, DMs me to say: I'm so sorry, I'm traveling but when I get back to my desk I'll get this figured out.... then proceeds to offer her direct email address... Whoa.

What?! Did she really give me her email...?

Within one week, my issue was solved and I appear to have a new BFF in Heather Fields from @BMLDeals!

I'd call that a positive experience.

companies active in social media want you to have a happy ending.

Note how clean and easy to read and use the Whole Account Interface with Bill Me Later feels.

Welcome to Halloween's Past...



I promise the Optimus Prime costume.... rocks.. I mean..
'SAVES THE WORLD'!

Disclosure. There isn't one. I got the same $10 discount you can get if you head to ToysRUs.com.

10 Tips: Making Connections At BlogWorld...

Speak in More than 140 characters! {What?}

1. Don't be afraid to give your card to the Hilton Rep.
At the opening Tweet-up of BlogWorld, Peter Arceo (@peterarceo), {Las Vegas Hilton Executive Director of Marketing} welcomed everyone into the cocktail hour. I shook his hand and thought, hmmm I wonder if I should hand him my business card? I even tried later in the evening and totally chickened out.... Later I ran into him again, and get this... HE asked for my card! I said: "I was too scared to give it to you the first time I saw you!" (#Doofus). He was all... why?? And I couldn't answer... I figured high powered bloggers are attendance why would he care about me? Turns out... he did care. Talk about the power of social media..? Even for this mom.
2. Find and meet the owner of BlogDog.

If you haven't met Stephanie Hansen (@Sahans) of The Daily Blarg and her amazing little BlogDog? You should. I did, and I'll be forever happy about it. After you meet her, ask her to schlep you around Vegas in her Bad A$$ Truck. Poor girl can't say no (her own words).



3. Team up with an awesome sponsor like Jumpstart.com.
Not only will all the mommys love you when you hand out Jumpstart treats, you'll get to do the Poken dance too! {Ohhhh YOU Poken?? Me too! Please Poke me!!} Please contact me if you'd like an intro the Jumpstart Marketing team... they want to meet YOU!

4. Meet the gorgeous owner of Aquis Microfiber Towels and all around smart business woman:
Britta Cox. Then convince her to pal around with the rest of your mommy crowd all weekend long. Because introducing yourself is fun and all, but introducing someone who is REALLY interesting is so much better!



5. Split your time between the gigantic and fab #Blogworld and the comfy, intimate #SITScation.

Pretend you are slightly schizophrenic running back and forth and you will get to meet some of your favorite blogging/tweeting online mom peeps! Then you will still get to hear Chris Brogan speak! My favorite quote: "Give away your (blogging) secrets, because holding on to them is like hugging a kitten!" I am looking for kitten images to tweet out to him!

6. Search for 3 days to find the amazing creator of Blogworld.
Rick Calvert (@blogworld). (Pictured above) And when you do- talk Joanie(@keepingupwmom) into posing for a double kiss as thank you to him! (Then ask him for a favor.. works every time!)
7. When you meet cool PR-reps...
Introduce them to everyone around you... then sneak them into SITScation so they can meet all the moms you know.... keep repeating. (Please meet @stephanieS with Kaplow and @levitanl with Mr. Youth.)


8. Attend the closing 'pool party' back at the Hilton.
Watch Whrrl.com executive John Kim(@JKimLosAngeles) give out private lessons to @extraordmommy and @DvinMsM, then when he buys drinks for everyone do the Mormon thing and ask for a D.Coke... {Geeks unite!} And hang with Uber cool E.L.F Brand rep: @TedRubin.
9. Make a long list of the cool NEW people you met.
@aquis @bgindra @SpiritJump @bigbags @peterarceo @stephanieS @Zaellen @livestrong @phatmommy @sevibabyyy @DvinMsM @DoubleAdventure @dailytemeculah @MissLori @ShaunaCausey Do YOU follow my new peeps?? You totally should.
10. Come to a final conclusion.
Classes/Speakers/Panels are useful mainly to fill in the time between all the fabulous conversations, connections and RE-connections. By far the best after party was the Hilton pool party sponsored by Collective Bias. Plenty of room (and you could hear each other)! I'm a little confused how a roomful of people are supposed to connect while LOUD music drowns out your brain?

Please meet some of my Favorite People...
I'll have a million pictures on my flickr stream!!

@quis @Todaysmama ME @Jylmomif @Sahans @Keepingupwmom
@Startupprincess @ThinkMaya @StephanieS


@Alliworthington @MissLori @Extraordmommy @Katjapresnal
@Phatmommy @Leeloublogs @Redsolediaryjen (alli again)

Companies That Get Social Media

I was recently asked: "Which companies 'get' social media?


One company that stands out is @CandH_sugar.
I first saw them tweeting a few months ago. I followed them. I figured they might be happy to chat with me about sugar related things.. you know. BAKING? Yup. They did. (Big shocker huh?) In fact they replied, asked me questions back, I was thrilled!?


Another company I've been impressed with is Cuisinart. Mainly due to their Facebook group. They run giveaways, but not the standard boring stuff. Instead, they ask for recipe submissions and ideas from their fans as the contest entry. (Thus featuring and highlighting their readers and fans!) What a great way make it interactive more than simply tweeting out stale links. Jennifer Perillo is the woman behind the scenes at the Facebook group and she tweets from @JenniferPerillo as well. Tell her I said hi!

Here are some real life examples from C&H Sugar:

For one of my Summer Beat The Boredom Posts... I asked @CandH_Sugar if they had any great kid friendly recipe ideas. (Something my 11yrold could make on her own.)
This was their reply: Molasses Ginger Cookies.
She made them. WE ate them!

I asked if they had a FAST recipe for labor day weekend since we were heading to a friend's house to watch them shoot off a water Rocket!
Again, their reply: Chocolate Ice Cream Cake
Wow...how perfect and... toasted almond crust? Ohmyheck. SOLD.

I mentioned that I had just made my favorite Blueberry Sour Cream Bundt Cake.
They asked me to upload a photo of it to their facebook page. Um... Heck yeah!

I recently begged: HELP! I bottled 21 quarts of pears and 10 quarts of pear sauce... and EEK! What should I do with all that pear sauce?
Wow did these guys come thru or what? They wrote a whole Facebook note answering my recipe mayday!
Here's a couple of their genius ideas:
Ultra Chocolate Cake (WHAT!)
Brown Sugar Pound Cake.. uh huh.. (see what I mean)??
Check out the rest to really enjoy what I'm talking about! And yes I'll be posting a photo of my pear sauce draped cake... as soon as I stop drooling.

See how they make it more about me than the company?
They GET Social Media from the Mom's perspective.

There are plenty of other companies out there who 'get' social media.
And just as many who don't.

My list of DON'TS:

1. If I tweet you a question about a product or about your site, do not answer me with a link to your website and nothing else. Um... I KNOW where your website is?
{Instead, reply! Answer me realistically. Assume I'm a real person, maybe I have kids, maybe I work full time, maybe by interacting with me you'll gain a loyal customer for your client. If you sell clothes it's safe to assume I WEAR clothes. If you sell a service, ask me if I use it, then why or why not. Don't be afraid of the negative. Working to solve negatives helps me realize you are human too.}

2. If I tweet you directly about a problem I'm having with your site or product... feel free to offer a customer support email, but likely I already sent in a customer support ticket.
{At least tell me you are checking on it and will get back. Or heck give me a REAL email where I can try to solve my issue. Then check back and see if it got resolved. I think I would faint if I got that kind of follow up.}

3. Don't use your Facebook page only as a way to shoot out new product updates or blog posts. The point of social media is to be SOCIAL.

{Again let me direct you to the C&H Sugar Facebook page. Note the interaction. Note the part where they feature their fans. Note how they use the discussion panel to further a bigger conversation with their customers and readers.}

C&H Sugar gets it right on their website too.
check out the Family fun section:

• Sugar Galaxy
• ABC's of baking with children
• sweet activities: lemonade stand

Disclosure: There is no disclosure. I wrote this article of my own free will and choice. People have asked if I'm working with CandH, and I answer: "If they offered to pay me I would say no, they GET Social Media they don't need me!"