Comments on: Responding to the social media mobocracy http://www.socializedpr.com/responding-to-the-social-media-mobocracy/ Tue, 16 Mar 2010 16:05:36 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Lara Kretler http://www.socializedpr.com/responding-to-the-social-media-mobocracy/#comment-812 Lara Kretler Fri, 05 Sep 2008 21:14:16 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=305#comment-812 Joel, great post and honestly, even if you had mentioned the company, they would never have even known about it. Now I'm so curious to see your under $500 plan! Was the $ part for your time to help them implement it? Joel, great post and honestly, even if you had mentioned the company, they would never have even known about it.

Now I’m so curious to see your under $500 plan! Was the $ part for your time to help them implement it?

]]> By: Ike http://www.socializedpr.com/responding-to-the-social-media-mobocracy/#comment-811 Ike Fri, 05 Sep 2008 20:49:39 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=305#comment-811 Let's get beyond Tom's esoterics, and look at the brand names on the landscape. You used to have big competitors in Ryder and Jartran. (Ryder quit, got pissed at his kids, and started Jartran to put 'em out of business.) They got locked into such a feud with each other, Jartran went under and Ryder got out of the one-way rental biz. With no real brand names threatening top-of-mind placement, money spent on customer service will not yield a measurable benefit. Let’s get beyond Tom’s esoterics, and look at the brand names on the landscape.

You used to have big competitors in Ryder and Jartran. (Ryder quit, got pissed at his kids, and started Jartran to put ‘em out of business.)

They got locked into such a feud with each other, Jartran went under and Ryder got out of the one-way rental biz.

With no real brand names threatening top-of-mind placement, money spent on customer service will not yield a measurable benefit.

]]> By: David Alston http://www.socializedpr.com/responding-to-the-social-media-mobocracy/#comment-809 David Alston Fri, 05 Sep 2008 14:34:26 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=305#comment-809 Hey there Joel, Great post. Tom, you have a point on the price aspect of things. They are definitely continuing to land customers with low price and signs on trucks (word-of-truck). However, I would say that there are other examples of companies with low prices AND great customer service. This truck rental company has a competitor which does just that, Penske, which I switched to in the end and really am glad I did. Now, they too don't appear to be monitoring social media yet but it would probably be a good fit for them. Hey there Joel,

Great post.

Tom, you have a point on the price aspect of things. They are definitely continuing to land customers with low price and signs on trucks (word-of-truck). However, I would say that there are other examples of companies with low prices AND great customer service. This truck rental company has a competitor which does just that, Penske, which I switched to in the end and really am glad I did. Now, they too don’t appear to be monitoring social media yet but it would probably be a good fit for them.

]]> By: Tom Cunniff http://www.socializedpr.com/responding-to-the-social-media-mobocracy/#comment-803 Tom Cunniff Thu, 04 Sep 2008 22:00:44 +0000 http://www.socializedpr.com/?p=305#comment-803 I'm guessing the reason you didn't hear back from the you-haul-stuff-in-our-trucks business is the same reason why nobody ever hears back: the business invests as little as possible in customer service. Why? Today, this is purely a commoditized, price business. They could give a damn about Twitter: their business is all about $19.99 a day for a dirty truck. All non-essential costs (including customer service) were stripped out of this business long ago. Yet, the business continues to thrive. Not every company cares about social media. Is it sacrilege to suggest that not every company should? Could a new competitor enter the category and build a great brand with great customer service? Absolutely. The jugular questions is, could they command the price premium needed to make the business work? I'd need to know a lot more about operating costs, but my guess is no. I doubt people would spend $25 for a $19.99 truck just to get an answer from somebody on Twitter. I’m guessing the reason you didn’t hear back from the you-haul-stuff-in-our-trucks business is the same reason why nobody ever hears back: the business invests as little as possible in customer service.

Why? Today, this is purely a commoditized, price business. They could give a damn about Twitter: their business is all about $19.99 a day for a dirty truck. All non-essential costs (including customer service) were stripped out of this business long ago. Yet, the business continues to thrive.

Not every company cares about social media. Is it sacrilege to suggest that not every company should?

Could a new competitor enter the category and build a great brand with great customer service? Absolutely. The jugular questions is, could they command the price premium needed to make the business work? I’d need to know a lot more about operating costs, but my guess is no. I doubt people would spend $25 for a $19.99 truck just to get an answer from somebody on Twitter.

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