Complaints

What’s A Successful Connection On Social Media

What’s A Successful Connection On Social Media

Garth Beyer

Helicopter Leaves Complaint

Does responding to complaints, peeves and criticism establish a successful connection? Does it build brand loyalty? Does it lead to a developed friendship. Does it equate to a sure future positive interaction?

A successful connection on social media is when someone shares their dreams, their stories, their hopes and memories and jokes with you. It’s when you can engage in conversation, knowing you’ll converse again in the future. It’s when you look forward to interacting again.

A business who only responds to complaints on social media isn’t building their brand, they’re just keeping it still, stagnant, stationary.

And you know what I say about standing still.

 

Stay Positive & Suggestion Time

If I tell you how much I hate having helicopter leaves stuck to my car? How can you turn that into a successful connection? Tweet at me @thegarthbox 

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How To Cope With Criticism

Garth Beyer

At one of my current occupations, I get to give kids money to go to college. It’s a pretty enjoyable time when I look at it like that. However, part of what I do is handle hundreds of phone calls and emails a week, call it customer service if you will.

Of course, those contacting me are doing so because of a problem they have, whether it’s from a lack of information, understanding, or what it sometimes feels like, they just want to blow up on someone.

This means I’m using a special kind emotional labor from day-to-day. I have to disassociate my personal feelings with every interaction while still keeping an open heart and willingness to help.

In other words, I continuously work on not taking anything personally.

To put it in more perspective, I seldom get a call to tell me I’ve done a good job or get an email just to tell me, “Thanks for all your work, we really appreciate it.” Occasionally I get a thank you letter from a student, maybe two a year on average.

I’m human, but even if I wasn’t, doing what I do without any pat on the back or thanks could still bring me to resent my work. Of course, it doesn’t. And for one simple reason.

Each day I remind myself that while I may receive 30 calls in one day, there are 90,000 students and 200,000 family members of students who don’t call, that things are going smoothly for, that have no problems. 30/290,000 is a pretty good ratio, wouldn’t you say?

Another current occupation (in which I am most artistic) is Writer. The majority of the time when I produce an article, when I get published, when I deliver, I get criticized. Similar to my work as a Grants Specialist, those who agree, who understand, who have been given the intended message, rarely leave feedback.

It’s not often people read to connect, but to learn and understand. I don’t see it, but there are hundreds (hopefully thousands?) of people nodding their heads in agreement and understanding while reading my work.

The few people who I hear from are those who disagree, who have a different opinion (that they would rather share in relation to my article rather than doing the hard work of writing one themselves), and yes, also those who just feel like trolling.

I once told a friend that if there was a point to complaining, they would call them com points, but they don’t. However, here is a point. (two actually)

We are criticized for two reasons. One, to broaden our minds, to self-evaluate, and to be aware of possible mistakes. In other words, to learn. Two (and most important), to be given a ratio. Not having a ratio doesn’t mean you’re doing everything right, it means you’re doing something seriously wrong.

Counting the number of critics you have is meant to remind you of all those who aren’t. I’ve never been one for math, but this is one ratio that makes it easy to cope with criticism.

 

Stay Positive & No Critics Usually Means No Art (and that’s on you, not them)

Garth E. Beyer

Ignore A Pool Of Your Customers

Garth Beyer

No! Wait! Don’t do that! You’ll lose your business unless you accommodate their desires!

NOT

When you ignore your customers, you make their experience a memory they want to share. Take for instance every single local or hotel pool.

I have been in a myriad of pools in my lifetime, all of which were cold. I can’t recall one pool that was room temperature or warm, it was always chilly to where you need to keep moving to counter the freezing temperature. I’m positive that plenty of people have complained to hotel services and management that the pools should be warmer or at least more bearable. Why have they all refused our demands? Because a cold pool makes it an experience, a wickedly fun one.

Don’t tell me that after you touch your toes in the water and realize that the water is freezing – of course it is! – that you don’t lie to your friend or parent saying that the water is warm and to jump right in. For some psychological reason, the cold water feels even more cold when you jump in thinking it’s warm. What a laugh you get! Okay, okay, back on topic.

What would happen if every hotel pool raised its temperatures and made it a manageable temperature: no shivers, no rushing for a towel once you exit, no need to keep swimming just to prevent yourself from freezing. Sure, it may be a bit more relaxing, but it surely wouldn’t be fun. Imagine it. “Hey, jump in the water first, its warm!” – the person jumps in – “Yes, it is.” What a memorable experience! (sarcasm)

As it is with hotel swimming pools, every business needs something that creates a buzz, an experience, something that people talk about, remember, but also complains about. What does this mean to you? People complain a lot more than they talk about a positive experience and if you can give them something to complain about that goes right along with a positive experience, you have something truly remarkable, truly worth talking about; it’s about adding the complaint to their pool of experience.

 

Stay Positive & I Flat Out Thought This Was Awesome: Fake Swimming Pool

Garth E. Beyer