Social Media Becoming Effective Way To Complain To Companies
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) – Have you ever felt wronged and wanted to complain to a company?
Well, complaining has gotten a whole lot easier thanks to social media.
Forget about the making a phone call or writing a letter because social media is the new place to complain.
If you do it right, you can get companies to stand up and listen.
KDKA-TV's Susan Koeppen: What do you think of the old-fashioned way of complaining by calling a 1-800 number or writing a letter?
Nick Linder: It still works, but now we have all these new technologies.
Social media is taking the reigns when it comes to letting companies know whether you like them or not.
Susan Koeppen: So you've gotten on Facebook or Twitter and complained about a company?
Heather Knight: Yeah sure, here or there.
With more than three billion likes and comments on Facebook each day, it is a prime place to post a complaint.
"If you use humor when you are making fun of the company, it's a lot more effective in terms of getting them to respond because people will feel sorry for you and share it with their friends," Knight said.
On Facebook, you should write your complaints on the company's Facebook page so someone there actually sees it.
If you write your comment on your own page, make sure you tag the company for example start your complaint by typing "@(Insert Company Here).
The same goes for Twitter. You have 140 characters or less to get your complaint across so make sure you tag the company so they see it.
Here's what happened when Koeppen complained to Delta Airlines.
Koeppen sent the following tweet, "@Delta Why is Delta terminal at JFK so filthy! More birds in here than people. Gross!"
About 21 minutes later, she got response and found out that Delta is getting a new terminal at JFK opening in the spring of 2013.
"I think that's why people complain publicly because they want someone to pay attention," Social Media Expert Jen Kane said.
Kane knows all about complaints on social media because she advises companies on how to handle them.
Heidi Bobier handles social media for a supermarket chain.
"You want to make sure you don't say anything inappropriate. You're not cursing, you're not being angry, but really offering constructive criticism," Bobier said.
Once the company responds, let them know exactly what you want to make the situation better.
If you don't feel comfortable using Facebook or Twitter to complain a phone call or letter can still work, but they just take longer.
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