Tag Archive for 'social media'

How not to service customers | My experience with Fedex and Wirefly

Published on May 26, 2011 in Business. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Long overdue for a phone upgrade, I used Wirefly to save an extra $20 on the new Droid X2 when I extended my contract with Verizon.

After placing my order on Saturday afternoon, I was extremely impressed that my order was not only processed but shipped the same day.

The only down side to ordering through Wirefly is that Fedex is their shipping provider. In the 2 years I’ve been in my current apartment, I can’t recall receiving a Fedex package without drama. UPS and USPS have no problems finding me, but Fedex always insists I don’t have a valid address.

And without fail, Fedex failed on Tuesday.  Online tracking indicated my address was incorrect.  I called Fedex — which confirmed my address — and I explained where my apartment is and had a chuckle with customer service about my invisibility to their drivers. Rep assured me that he would forward extra delivery information along to dispatch.

And my phone is still being held hostage by the Fedex facility on Wednesday night. I call Fedex again — customer service is now telling me that there is NO address in the system for this package. The package was shipped from Wirefly with no street address — sorry, an incomplete street address of “South Apt 100″. My street address does not include the word south, nor do I live in Apt 100.

I provide my correct address to customer service who assures delivery on Thursday,  but it is not to be. The person processing the address change calls me back to let me know she cannot approve shipment to the correct address, regardless of the fact that it was in the system on Tuesday when I called, until Wirefly.com calls to approve the address change. Doesn’t matter that I’m the paying customer, they are contractually obligated to get the permission from the sender before making that change.

All Wirefly needs to do is call the 800-number, provide the tracking number and OK my address.

That’s all they need to do. That’s all. That. Is. All.

It is actually difficult to get to a human being at Wirefly. I forgot about  GetHuman until I was 40 minutes into my call with Wirefly.  Their automated system is chock full of directions and helpful information that was neither relevant or helpful. After trying a few different numbers listed on their site, I found my way to the customer service queue.

I explained the situation to Rav.

Unfortunately it is not Wirefly’s approved process to call Fedex to straighten out shipping snafus. Instead, they recall the original package and ship a new one. And they’d expedite shipping for free so that I’d get my package the next business day, but because it was so late in the day that really meant 2 days later.

It seems like a lot of paperwork when a 3 minute phone call to Fedex would get me my phone on Thursday. Rav agrees but it’s not the approved process. Rav speaks to his manager, but no go. It’s not the approved process. I spend much time on hold and in verbal round robins that go no where.

Fine, ship me a new phone ASAP.  Rav now has to explain the situation to Marcus, the guy who approves orders. Marcus has concerns that the same problem could recur if he approves the shipping of a second phone, so he can’t approve the order.  He has to get permission from his corporate overlord before he can do so. And it could take 24 hours to get that approval.  Rav informs me that the worst case scenario is 24-hours, but the escalation is being flagged as the highest priority for UPPER MANAGEMENT.

There are now at least 4 people involved at Wirefly.  I have been on the phone for an hour.  Think about how much paperwork this problem is generating. All because there’s a specific process that must be abided by in lieu of a 3-minute phone call.  Yes, a 3-MINUTE phone call.

(The one bright spot in this hour is that Rav realizes the situation is absurd and notes that he will raise this situation with the appropriate channels in an effort to generate process improvement.  Front guy line realizes there is a need to improve the process by which these situations are handled.  It doesn’t make up for the fact that I don’t have my phone or that I spent an hour on the line when a 3-minute call would resolve things, but it gives me hope that someone at the company has a clue.)

As of this morning, it appears that upper management agreed with me and thought the 3-minute phone call was the most prudent option because the tracking number shows that my phone is out for delivery. Again. But now my hope of new smartphone ownership hinges on FEDEX finding my apartment.

Best part, I received a customer satisfaction survey email from Wirefly starting off with, “We hope you are enjoying your recent wireless purchase.”  The form email goes on to note its awesome benefits to online customers including “100% customer satisfaction” and “Fast, reliable FEDEX SHIPPING”.  No. Just No.

To say I’ve been underwhelmed by Wirefly is an understatement.  And all to save an extra $20 off Verizon’s pricing online. Some discounts aren’t worth the hassle.

VOD | social networking overshares: why?

Published on March 27, 2011 in Relationships and Technology. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

At Ignite DC 6, Joseph Price spoke about the  mundane  postings we’ve all become conditioned to seeing on Facebook and other social networking sites.  He dared to ask “Why are you doing this?”

Ignite DC is taking speaker submissions until April 25. What would you tell a rambunctious, socially lubricated crowd if you had just five minutes and 20 slides to capture your story?

It’s also not too soon to purchase tickets for the June 2 event being held in DC.

Social technology: relationship hype or helper?

Published on January 2, 2011 in Community and Technology. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , .

Settimana Internet @ Roma - 25 giugno, Internet e Anzianiphoto © 2009 Codice Internet | more info (via: Wylio)
Over at Brass Tack Thinking, Amber Naslund took to her blog to stress that virtual relationships are as valuable and meaningful as real world ones.

Human relationships have many facets. When they’re real, they’re not real because of the things we use to cultivate them. They’re real because the human bond is there, the connection that extends beyond the means. No tool, website, or thingamajig can take that away, and none can replace it entirely. When it happens, that bond between people – either personal or professional – is as real and genuine as the individuals themselves.

I’d echo the sentiments.

I’ve lived in a lot of places over the last 15 years, and as I, and my friends, have relocated we’ve taken to the technology of the times to keep our friendships alive. From instant messaging to free weekend minutes to Friendster to LinkedIn to Facebook to Twitter, social technologies have allowed me to stay in touch with people I’ve met in real time and in greater detail than the occasional email would permit.

Had there not been meaningful connections shaped by working, schooling, and playing together, there would be no reason to stay in touch.  Genuine interest in the lives and well-being of  friends exists whether I live 5 minutes on foot or 5 hours by plane away.  I probably interact with more people on a daily basis now than I did just a few years ago because social technology makes it so effortless.

On the flipside, through blogging and twitter, I’ve met a variety of people from around the country and abroad that have enriched my life. Given the scattered geography of my digitally-discovered connections, I likely would never have met them without technology. I know them as well as my real world connections, because of the endless banter that Twitter and Facebook allow.  And I’ll never ceased to be amazed when someone approaches me at a networking event to see if I’m THAT Andrea_Zak.

In fact, I’d argue that virtual relationships have made me a better friend in real time. As someone who has always been a bit guarded with new people, technology created a buffer zone that allowed me to get to know amazing folks.  Given my online connections tend to operate outside my real world social network, open interactions somehow felt safer — even though I realize the converse is probably true.

That distance allowed me to express myself freely in ways I was, at the time, too insecure to express to live people in my presence.  Having that space helped me build up the confidence to hold my values near and dear 24/7, not just when I’m chatting away with a semi-stranger that comments on my blog. Now I’m more likely to make genuine connections with people, because I’m more comfortable sharing of myself and build stronger bonds as a result.

Can the internet be an interminable waste land? You betcha.  But it can also be an electronic coffee clutch that keeps you in the know about the people that matter to you.

Social technology: relationship hype or helper?

Business cards via text message

Published on March 18, 2009 in Useful Stuff. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

I love my MOO mini-cards, but as soon as I order a set, buyer’s remorse kicks in. I wish I had included more or less or different contact info.

A blogging buddy of mine introduced me to Contxts, a free service that ensures you’re never without your business cards again.  After signing up for an account, there are two ways to share your info.

From your phone, you txt “send 3034759204” to 50500

You can tell the service to text your info to a particular phone number (area code + number) OR

Your contact txts “username” to 50500 on their phone

Your new contact can make a text request for your info using your username.

You can test it out be texting the  “DANIEL” to the number 50500.  Within moments, you should receive  creator Daniel’s contact info.

Each contact that requests your info is added to your own “virtual rolodex” as they sign up for their own account at Contxt.

You can update the profile that is texted to interested parties at anytime.  You can include as much or as little information as you want, as long as it stays under 140 characters.

It might even be worth having two accounts, once for personal info and a second for your business info.

What are you waiting for, go sign up!

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Social networking makes professional women more competitive

Published on January 1, 2009 in Business. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , .

network

graphic by jared

I’ve been thinking about the background research on that McKinsey study of Model Centered Leadership.  Particularly the brief mention about how

men tend to build broader, shallower networks than women do and that the networks of men give them a wider range of resources for gaining knowledge and professional opportunities.

Given the very long arm of social networks, it seems as though the internet is helping to level the networking playing field for professional women.  Women are definitely engaging online; for instance, 55% of FaceBook users are female.

How do the two relate?  I read status updates on a regular basis indicating my friends and acquaintances are connecting with elementary school friends, long last college hall mates, former professors, etc.

Ten years ago, you had no way of keeping track of hundreds of tangential connections that you hold face or name recognition with, but little more.  Now you can connect online with just about every person you meet in real time. . . not that you’d want to.

When you’re looking for a new job or a new house or a new boyfriend, your circle of connections has grown that much larger when you connect with people you liked from past chapters of your life, people you’d otherwise have lost touched with, if not for social networking.

Isn’t social networking allowing us all to build broad, shallow networks of acquaintances we can reach out to as needed?  This natural evolution of the internet seems to be giving women the tools to be as competitive as men when it comes to networking.

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Random Phun: Myers-Briggs For Your Blog

Published on December 3, 2008 in Uncategorized. 0 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , .

Typealyzer will analyze the content of your blog and tell you what kind of writing you do.  It’s sort of like a Myers-Briggs personality test for your blog.

Turns out my blog is a Do-er (ISTP):

The active and play-ful type. They are especially attuned to people and things around them and often full of energy, talking, joking and engaging in physical out-door activities.

The Doers are happiest with action-filled work which craves their full attention and focus. They might be very impulsive and more keen on starting something new than following it through. They might have a problem with sitting still or remaining inactive for any period of time.

I definitely love starting new projects, but I’m also one to see them through to the finish.  In fact, I have a hard time stopping once I get going on a project I’m passionate.  And if you’re losing track of time, you’re definitely doing work you love.

Breanne Potter will have something to say about this site guaranteed!

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Dear Linkedin: You're Not FaceBook

Published on November 8, 2008 in Business. 0 Comments Tags: , , .

Attention LinkedIn:

I hate to be the one to say it, but you’re not FaceBook.  In an effort to try to be cooler, the quality of the experience is on the decline.

Applications

It would be hard to miss the sudden proliferation of applications available to pimp one’s profile and LinkedIn experience.  Once you leave the home page, access to these applications takes a bit of effort.  Would a drop down menu be too much to ask?

Events

At first I was gung ho about the events calendar. . . but then I used it.

With no way to sort events, I can’t see what’s coming up in the next few days. There’s no rhyme or reason to the ordering of the listings, so events in the distant future  may show up before those that are just a few days away.  Surely there should be a way to sort by date?

Then I posted a few relevant events to my life.  Upon posting, the site assured me the event would be shared with my network, so I checked in with a connection to confirm.  The event in question isn’t popping up the connection updates, nor is it anywhere to be found at first glance on the events page.  If my immediate connections aren’t notified, I’m doubtful my extended network is flashed the details either.

I also posted an important event that I don’t plan to attend.  Unfortunately, if you’re not attending an event you post, it disappears and you have to return to the search box to find it.  Surely, events should remain somehow tethered to the person that posted it?

Group Management

I happen to manage several groups; relevant groups can be very useful. And the new discussion boards within encourage greater interaction, which is encouraging.

However, the inability to sort members by name and date of application/acceptance is non-existant.  This sorting capability was available with early incarnations of groups, but removed as they upgraded. Despite complaints from group owners, the lack of sorting ability continues, though LinkedIn keeps promising to give it back.

And while one can export the member and pending member lists into excel, one shouldn’t have to.  With respect to the notion of “keep it simple, stupid,” LinkedIn would better serve its community leaders if we could do our organzing on site.

So

All the added applications and functions that can be thought up aren’t much use if they’re not easy to manipulate.   If they’re not workable, LinkedIn starts looking less attractive.  With 30 million users and growing, seems like changes might roll out better if they spend more time in QA.

LinkedIn users aren’t on the site for recreational purposes, like FaceBook serves.  LinkedIn users are professionals trying to make the most of the networkign for professional development.  So functionability matters, and it would be great if LinkedIn realized the same.

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