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.

Confessions of a Shopaholic Turned Social Media Success

(Confessions of a Shopaholic, YouTube)

I like to shop – for things I need, for things I want, and sometimes, for things I don’t know I want until I see them.  I consider myself retail savvy, but I’ve learned a lot from my impulsive past.  I try to avoid buyer’s regret and for a long time that meant I also avoided shopping online.  I changed my mind recently and social media is a big part of the reason why.

Better Comparison Shopping - Practically any item you could want to purchase is available online.  Instead of traveling from one store to the next wasting gas, time and energy you can usually find exactly what you want in a few clicks.  And before you buy, you can use the reviews of other shoppers to help you decide.

"People are far more willing to trust each other than a company." (Li and Bernoff, 158)

 was offering a free smart phone with a new contract around Christmas and I was ready to buy.  I just didn’t know what phone was right for me.  I narrowed it down to two products and compared the specifications. 



HTC Droid Incredible 2





Samsung Galaxy



After looking at the few details I understood and cared about, I decided that I liked the design and camera quality of the HTC better.  The only drawback is that it operates on 3G, while the Samsung has 4G capabilities. Since that isn’t my area of expertise, the customer ratings and reviews were the real tie-breaker.

  

78 people responded to Best Buy's request for feedback on just 2 phones - that's a lot of information with more credibility than I could get from just one employee.

 Besides a better overall rating for HTC, most of the reviews confirmed that it has “great picture quality.”  Meanwhile, the Samsung had a lot of complaints (even in the positive reviews) that the screen freezes and the network has trouble switching out of 4G in areas where it isn’t available. 

I ended up buying the HTC, and like 87% of the customers who reviewed the phone, I also recommended it to others.  My aunt ended up buying one for herself and her husband.  So Best Buy got three sales and the customer feedback eliminated most of the work.  Charlene Li and Josh Bernoff’s book, Groundswell calls this use of social media to better market products “energizing the base. “ 

 Free Fashion Advice - With so many shopping options online, it can be hard to make a decision on your own.  Sometimes what you’re really shopping for is a good opinion.



 is one of my favorite sites.  I usually go there when I’ve seen a style I like, but I’m looking for a better price or a different color.  It also acts as a social networking site where you can create your own looks, join groups run by other members, and give and receive tips by commenting on shared looks.

I shared this look today and I’m excited to see what suggestions other members might have.

Don’t get me wrong.  I still visit plenty of stores in person.  But there’s something nice about shopping with the help of social media.  Have you tried it?  Have you been energized by a particular brand or product to participate in the groundswell?

“Word of mouth works because:  it’s believable; it’s self-reinforcing; it’s self-spreading.” (130)