I went to heat up a Red Baron 4-Meat Pizza a couple of Saturdays ago.
To make a long story short, there was glass in my mouth from the pizza. I couldn’t get a hold of anyone. The 800 number was only answered during the week, their Facebook page had no way to message them, and they let me tweet for four days before I ever heard from them. Finally their social media team who had monitored for the company name noticed I was complaining. Their approach was basically, “Hey! Heard your tweet! What’s up!”
Yes, they did give me another shout out to let me know they contacted the company.
Was that a good strategy for them? Did it matter that they had a social media presence?
Not one single bit.
Will I buy from them again? Absolutely not. I’m still waiting for the conclusion of the saga, but people have not been warned to return their pizzas, and I was basically told that since they have glass-free facilities, what I experienced was impossible.
Social media run properly could have helped them help the public and protect their reputation. Instead, it made them appear irresponsible and lame. I pray there is no glass in a pizza that a teen gulps down.
Here’s what they should have done, and how your business should respond to others through social media in the event of an emergency.
5 Social Media Emergency Contact Requirements
- If there is a complaint, immediately address it.
- If there is a health or safety issue, an immediate direct message is appropriate.
- Others should be made aware that there is a potential issue and aggressively asked to respond so that the scope of the problem can be verified.
- In no way should your social media team be entirely disconnected from management.
- Do NOT disable Facebook page interactions. Emergency contact information should always be easily accessible, at least from the info page.
Social media is now a necessity for small and local business. How you decide to interact with it will determine whether or not it benefits you. Don’t be afraid or roll your eyes about it, just learn how to do it. It’s really not that hard. You might even enjoy it!
No, you don’t have to … but why on earth avoid 500,000,000 people?
Download The Very Best Way to Use Twitter For Local Business to learn the basics of building your presence and empowering your staff to work for you, instead of against you. For more information on Facebook for business check out these helpful articles.
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