Going Groundswell



My name is Ashley and I have a problem!

I wasn't sure if I would continue this blog after I finished my class last month, but today I have a new reason to write.  You see, I recently took what I learned about the power of social media and applied it to solve a real life problem.

A Tale of Missing Dresses and Horrible Customer Service

To give you the short(er) version, I am a bridesmaid in my brother’s wedding next month.  In February, my sister and I went to an Alfred Angelo store in North Attleboro, MA to order our dresses.  We were given an estimated shipment date of May 4^th and told, at the latest, they would arrive in 14 weeks.  This is week 14 and neither of us have our dresses.  When I stopped by the store yesterday to check on this situation, I was brushed off, scolded for ordering late, told no one knew where my dress was or when it would arrive and verbally attacked for asking to speak to a manager.  I left without my dress, but with the determination to fix this situation myself.

Don’t Get Even…Get Social

In addition to the 3 page email (see that was the short version) that I sent to Alfred Angelo customer service and the Better BusinessBureau, I shared my story on the Alfred Angelo Facebook page.  For some reason my wall posts kept disappearing (the joys of timeline), so I reposted it as a comment on the company’s post.  To Alfred Angelo’s credit, my comments were not deleted.  In fact, someone responded in a timely and helpful manner.  Five simple sentences that made me feel better and left me with a shred of respect for this company.  As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one singing the bridal shop blues.

For good measure, and to warn other unsuspecting potential customers, I also shared my story on Foursquare, Local.com and Google Reviews.

They Said “Yes” to Finding My Dress

The moral of this story is that social media works.  Today I received apologies from the Alfred Angelo Facebook page, the head customer service representative and the North Attleboro store manager.  I like to think that my use of social media is partly why.   It gave me the platform to stand up to an international company and tell them that I, Ashley, a customer who spent $140 on a single dress, matter.  I deserve to receive the product that I paid for and to be treated with respect.  I am told that my dress is now in the United States and will be available to pick up this Friday – exactly 14 weeks to the day that I ordered my dress.  While this experience has been less than pleasant, I will be happy to forget about it once I can confirm it has arrived.