"We sincerely apologize" and "I am so sorry for the service issue" are two variations of the typical internet response from company representatives that we see on social media. Has receiving a half-hearted, and probably insincere, apology from a company representative ever fixed a problem you were having? Me neither! Unfortunately, this is a typical response that Spectrum sends its customers when they complain about problems with their Spectrum service. Spectrum uses Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and Youtube. And unfortunately for Spectrum, customers are angry across every platform.
In an attempt to corral the negative comments and complaints Spectrum introduced the Twitter profile Ask Spectrum where customers can tweet their problem and receive help from the Spectrum customer support team. However, the response from a customer service representative is typically a "copy and paste", generic-looking response asking the customer to direct message their account information to receive assistance. For example, the response below was sent to several different customers who tweeted that they needed assistance with different problems.
It is possible that the customers who tweeted their problem on Twitter had their problem solved in the privacy of their Twitter direct messages. However, seeing as the rating of Spectrum services earns only 1.3 out of 5.0 stars on Facebook, I think it is safe to say that Spectrum customers are not satisfied with the service or support they are receiving, at least not in Worcester.
We know from Groundswell that one way listening to the groundswell changes your organization is through the "no-more-being-stupid factor" (97). As we are seeing here, Spectrum customers are ruthlessly exposing Spectrum's stupid, unfair, or useless policies, procedures, and products. Li and Bernoff state that companies must listen to the complaints from the groundswell and stop being stupid! However, many cable companies, including Spectrum, can get away with continuing to be stupid because they hold a monopoly in many areas. Therefore, no matter how much their customers complain, there is likely little competition in the area, and few, if no other providers for the customers to turn to.
Poor customer service, half-hearted online apologies, and the continuation of stupid practices despite anger from the groundswell are just a few reasons why Spectrum has built an online community of anti-Spectrum enthusiasts. Spectrum may be able to salvage their online presence if they recognize the importance of having the groundswell on their side and commit to strengthening their customer service practices. However, until they realize the importance of having positive buzz, the groundswell will continue to mercilessly expose Spectrum's stupidity.
This is an awesome post, Ryan! It reminds me of the mini-case in Issues & Cases about the British railway company incessantly saying "I'm sorry" to their customers but not doing anything about it. Sad to see that this response is common not only in the U.K.. Great usage of screenshots from social media and I liked the video of the man's personal account!
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