The Thank You Economy

The Thank You Economy, by Gary Vaynerchuk, is about caring about your customers. It is as simple as that. How we cultivate our relationships is often the greatest determinant of the type of life we get to live. Business is no different. Real business happens in the small, personal interactions that allow us to prove to each other who we are and what we believe in, honest moments that promote good feelings and build trust and loyalty.
Mr. Vaynerchuk believes it is important that brands and businesses learn how to properly use social media to develop one-to-one relationships with their customer base. 

Word Of Mouth Is Back
Mr. Vaynerchuck tells us about how small town businesses operated in the days of our grandparents and great-grandparents. The customers weren't just walking wallets; they were friends and neighbors. The business owners cared about their customers and tried to please them. Relationships and word of mouth could have a direct impact on an individual's personal and professional reputation, and on the success or failure of one's business. Word of mouth is now back. Social media sites allow us to discuss future purchases with people that we like and trust. These conversations are traveling across the world in real time.

The Heart Wants What The Heart Wants
The ROI of a social media user is deeply tied to that user's sense of community and the emotional attachment he or she associates with a product. Last year, the motherboard on my Dell laptop computer went out.  The computer was only 13 months old so I was quite upset. I was even more upset after being put on hold for a very long time by a Dell customer service representative.  So, I started tweeting on Twitter about how upset I was with the computer and the customer service.  I soon attracted the attention of the Dell social media team.  A representative asked me to call him on the phone and he did a great job resolving the problem. I recently tweeted that I think the Dell social media team does an excellent job resolving problems.  The next day I received a tweet from MICHAEL DELL (a verified account) that said, "thanks for the nice kudos about our social media team."
I think I will always buy Dell computers ~ the heart wants what the heart wants.

This Book Will Inspire You
Gary Vaynerchuk wrote Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion in 2009.  I read that book and I love it. I believe The Thank You Economy explains why a business should use social media marketing and Crush It!: Why NOW Is the Time to Cash In on Your Passion tells you exactly how to do it.

Those who are willing to look are witnessing the humanization of business. It will have one of the greatest impacts on commerce we've ever seen. The brand that touches and creates the most emotion will win.
Read these books and then get busy building relationships with everything you've got!

Please let me know what you think in the comments below.

Kudos To The Dell Social Media Team

My husband and I have been using Dell computers for many years. I worked as a school librarian and my library was full of Dell computers. My husband works for a large company and has been using Dell computers for about 15 years. We have also purchased one Dell desktop computer and two Dell laptop computers for our personal use. We have been good Dell customers.

I bought a Dell Inspiron 1526 laptop computer in May, 2008. A few months ago, I noticed that the battery would not hold a charge. I ordered a new battery but that did not help. The computer was just out of warranty but my husband thought we should try to get it repaired. He called Dell Customer Service and received authorization to send the computer to a local (Houston area) Dell contractor and have it repaired. Dell sent us a FedEx box and we shipped the computer to the repair facility.

We waited one week, two weeks, three weeks....still no computer. My husband had been on the phone for hours trying to find out why the computer had not been returned. Each phone call resulted in hours of being put on hold, transfers from one customer service rep to another and calls being cut off. My husband was becoming more and more frustrated. He said he would NEVER buy another Dell computer.

I was getting impatient. One night my husband said that the Dell rep on the telephone told him that my computer was on "hold" because of a "payment problem". That sent me over the deep end because I knew that Dell had charged my credit card over $400.00 BEFORE they ever received the computer for repair. They talked to my husband on the phone and then charged me $400.00 before they even touched the computer! Now, they are saying that they are holding the computer because of a "payment problem" and putting the blame for this mess on us. I don't think so.

I am an avid Twitter user so I started tweeting and retweeting all kinds of trash about Dell customer service. (YAWN) It wasn't long before I attracted the attention of the Dell Online Community Escalations Team??? I was contacted by DarrenAtDell and he said that he would have someone from the team contact me. I was skeptical. I thought it might be a hoax or just a ploy to get me to stop posting nasty remarks about Dell Customer Service on Twitter. However, I soon got an email from a gentleman named Bradley who said he would try to "expedite" the matter.

Well, the past 4 or 5 customer service reps that my husband talked to said the same thing. They were all "expediting" the matter but still no computer. So, I continued to tweet on Twitter. Again, I attracted the attention of the Dell social media people. This time, billatdell shot me a direct message and asked me to call him. I called him and he seemed sincerely interested in helping me resolve this problem. He accessed my account and said I should have the computer within the next 3 or 4 days. He also said he would investigate the charges on my credit card and make corrections as needed. I also received several emails from Bradley (from the online community team) keeping me posted on what was going on.

The computer was delivered 3 days after I talked to billatdell and it seems to be as good as new. I have to say that DarrenAtDell, billatdell and Bradley were all top-notch professionals. They responded to my frustrations and they had the authority to get results.

KUDOS to the Dell Social Media Team! This story has a happy ending because of you.