The Ed.
Well-Known Member
The wonders of modern technology have made it easier and quicker for businesses to get their name out there without the costs of pricey advertising and PR companies. Facebook and Twitter have made it possible for savvy and creative individuals to build brands pretty much for free and without doubt, they are indispensable business tools in this day and age.
But, if it's easy-peasy to get a positive message about your brand out there, remember, it's just as easy for a determined and disgruntled client to get a not-so-positive message out there. Michelle Mott, a salon owner in Michigan, learned this the very hard way.
Ashley Bays took her autistic son to a Mott's salon to have a haircut. The boy cried throughout the service during which Mott shouted at the boy. The harrassed mother felt she had no choice but to take her son outside so that his haircut could be completed there. An observer, Vanessa Hunt was so shocked by what she saw that she took no time in posting the whole sorry story on Facebook.
Before Mott knew it, she was under fire from 30,000 angry Facebook users who were appalled at the way she had treated the client. In no time, a campaign to boycott the salon had begun and now Mott finds herself embroiled in a trial by social media.
While it may seem like an extreme example, it could easily happen to anyone. Review sites, Facebook, Twitter are not just enormously powerful promotion tools, they are also powerful consumer tools and if they don't like what they see, they have a very prominent, far-reaching platform from which to shout about it.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
But, if it's easy-peasy to get a positive message about your brand out there, remember, it's just as easy for a determined and disgruntled client to get a not-so-positive message out there. Michelle Mott, a salon owner in Michigan, learned this the very hard way.
Ashley Bays took her autistic son to a Mott's salon to have a haircut. The boy cried throughout the service during which Mott shouted at the boy. The harrassed mother felt she had no choice but to take her son outside so that his haircut could be completed there. An observer, Vanessa Hunt was so shocked by what she saw that she took no time in posting the whole sorry story on Facebook.
Before Mott knew it, she was under fire from 30,000 angry Facebook users who were appalled at the way she had treated the client. In no time, a campaign to boycott the salon had begun and now Mott finds herself embroiled in a trial by social media.
While it may seem like an extreme example, it could easily happen to anyone. Review sites, Facebook, Twitter are not just enormously powerful promotion tools, they are also powerful consumer tools and if they don't like what they see, they have a very prominent, far-reaching platform from which to shout about it.
Until then...geek on!
The Ed.
