Companies are starting to wake up to value of social networks. They are realizing that the web offers an amazing opportunity to manage your reputation and provide personal customer service.

When C.C. Chapman noticed a blemish in his high-definition television's reception during the NBA playoffs recently, he blasted a quick gripe about Comcast into the online ether, using the social network Twitter. Minutes later, a Twitter user named ComcastCares responded, and within 24 hours, a technician was at Chapman's house in Milford to fix the problem.

"I was so floored," said Chapman, who runs a digital marketing agency and advises companies to do what he experienced with Comcast - listen to what customers are saying about them online and respond. "When it actually happened to me, it blew me away," he said.

Chapman's experience is one example of the ways customer service is changing in an age when a single disgruntled consumer with a broadband connection can ignite a crisis. It also shows the potential of the Internet to turn miffed customers into fans in a more organic way than an advertising campaign. Chapman, for example, made a podcast about his visit from Comcast.

Comcast is not the only one. Google, Southwest Airlines, Dell and many other companies have started to monitor how their brands are perceived online, by tracking blogs and social networks to find where people are talking about a company.

With powerful and comprehensive search engines and tools like Google Alerts, it is not hard to find out who is writing about your company online. Taking a proactive approach and responding to these posts is simple good business. The best part might be that these tasks are best performed by younger workers who are cheap, yet more knowledgeable about these social networks.

If you need help managing your online reputation,
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Labels: marketing, websites