How not to do customer service on social media
Recently I had a horrible experience with a service sector company – I wanted them to fix the problem, sort things out and treat me nicely – so far none of this has happened. In frustration at drawing a blank with the usual channels, I checked out whether I could engage with them via social media. I quickly found they had Twitter and Facebook accounts and I found them on a range of online rating sites. A successful Linkedin request to their chairperson gave me an email and mobile number. So quite a significant digital footprint, plus a flashy website. My various attempts to engage with them both directly (LinkedIn message) and publically (Twitter and Facebook plus feedback on rating sites) drew a complete blank. A big fat no response. In contrast when I tweeted a company they are accredited with, they responded to me straight away – friendly, helpful and even tweeted a thank you to me for following them – I immediately felt warmly disposed towards them. When I rang the chairperson on their mobile, they told me plainly that they never respond to electronic communications and if people want to contact them they should do so by phone. When I mentioned social media they shouted at me and told me how much they hated Twitter (although funnily enough they do have a personal account). I was stunned that anyone in business can think it is acceptable to blithely ignore communication channels they themselves have set up. It’s a bit like installing a letter box, but refusing to open your letters, whilst omitting to tell people who...
Privacy is dead. Sorry. Health and social care practitioners on Facebook
‘I believe all is public, and professional behaviour is important. Privacy is dead. Sorry’ I recently shared five fundamental questions put to me by health and social care practitioners during a workshop on social media in mental health practice. I was struck by the extent to which participants needed to address their worries and concerns before they could grasp its positive potential. Over fifty health and social care practitioners from across the world kindly shared their answers to those questions, thanks to Anne Marie Cunninghamwho set up an online survey and shared it with her networks. A big thank you also to everyone who took the time to respond, you can find the results here. Below are my reflections to responses to the second question: ‘Can a personal Facebook account be completely private? What if I post a picture of me a bit the worse for wear on a night out – isn’t that ok? Don’t I have a right to a private life?’ Here’s a summary of the key themes: Keep it professional – the vast majority of responses suggested that it is important to keep your Facebook account professional. Some answers focused on the fact that it can be hard to maintain strict privacy settings on Facebook: ‘It is never completely private. If there is something you don’t want other people to see, don’t share it!’ Others focused more on the notion of professionalism in private as well as public life for health and social care professionals ‘we have to lead by example – it’s a way of life’and ‘It is OK to have a personal life but if you are a...
Crisis calls for help on Twitter – how should health and social care practitioners respond?
I recently shared a number of important questions put to me by health and social care practitioners during a workshop on social media in mental health practice. I was struck by the extent to which participants needed to address their worries and concerns before they could grasp its positive potential. Over fifty health and social care practitioners from across the world kindly shared their answers to those questions, thanks to Anne Marie Cunningham who set up an online survey and shared it with her networks. A big thank you also to everyone who took the time to respond, you can find the results here. Below are my reflections to responses to the question: ‘what do I do if someone I support clinically @mentions to me on Twitter that they are suicidal?’ No consensus – I was struck by the diversity of responses which ranged from a sense of strong 24/7 professional commitment at one end of the spectrum: ‘I think we’re a profession that is 24/7. Pillars of the community, generations of medics have created that image. We have a duty of care to respond to help when we can. It (should be) is in our DNA’ through to concerns about personal and professional boundaries: ‘It is vital to keep boundaries and if you get drawn into these things out with working hours it’s difficult to know where work and home life begins and ends.’ Respecting privacy – the vast majority were in favour of responding – some either via @mention or direct message, but the majority indicated that it should be done through direct means rather than on a public social...about.me
Victoria Betton
victoria betton
director mHabitat | NHS | social media & mental health doctorate | interested in digital inclusion | parma violets fiend | http://codesigndigitalhealth.co.uk
