What NOT to do on Social Media
A couple of weeks ago, I came across an interesting situation on a company’s Facebook page, that really surprised me. It was on Tupperware Australia and New Zealand’s site and was added by a Tupperware Facebook administrator.
The short version of the story is that a Tupperware customer asked for a replacement spatula as hers had broken. Tupperware offers a lifetime guarantee on their products so this wasn’t out of the question. The customer had posted her request on their Facebook site and a conversation occurred. Later that same day, Tupperware then posted a statement, naming the customer personally and stating that they would not be refunding or replacing this item. This was due to the fact it was damaged by using too much force, as opposed to general wear and tear. Unfortunately, this then sparked a huge outcry from Tupperware’s loyal customers. Hundreds of comments made from various people before Tupperware removed the post.
Removing the Post
The general consensus was that Tupperware had not honoured their guarantee. A guarantee that pushes the prices up and sets them apart from their competitors. This guarantee made Tupperware the biggest Direct Seller in many countries. One of the major points of difference when purchasing Tupperware is the lifetime guarantee on their products. Hence why they can justify the high price point.
Within the comments, many customers swore they would not purchase any further products. A number of people commented that their $35 plastic spatulas had also snapped, however their own Tupperware representative had the good grace to replace them.
Another outcry was that why Tupperware would post publicly and single out one customer. It’s not usual protocol for a company of their size.
All in all not a pleasant customer experience and Tupperware probably didn’t show themselves in the best light. They later removed the post and posted a status update to say the following:
‘Hi everyone, due to the high amounts of comments on a previous post we have had to delete it as we cannot monitor and give accurate feedback:( all replacements that are given to a Authorised Tupperware Demonstrator are assessed on the guidelines listed in our Tupperware lifetime guarantee. For more info about our lifetime guarantee please go to our website or call our customer service team on 1800 805 396 AUS or 0800 800 818 NZ.’
The Social Media Results
The above post alone gained nearly 150 comments, so people were clearly still upset by the situation.
This is the perfect example of how using Social Media leaves you open to criticism and comments, as an organisation. It’s important to ensure the personnel, who are updating your Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn or any other social media mediums, are fully briefed on what they can and cannot post and how to deal with situations such as the above.
Social Media should be used to showcase products, highlight services and feature special offers. Above all it should be utilised to generate leads which you can then turn into paying customers. It certainly shouldn’t be used as a tool to personally attack your customers!
We can set up the latest social media strategy for you and help with the management. It’s a whole new world to many and we would be happy to assist, so please get in touch.