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"As part of the ongoing Mashable Awards, we're taking a closer look at each of the nomination categories. This is \"Best Social Media Customer Service,\" supported by BlackBerry. Be sure to nominate your favorites and join us for the Gala in Las Vegas!\nWith the connectivity social networks provide, companies are engaging their communities with new tools, methods and attitudes. They\u2019re able to gain a greater understanding of their customers while reacting to inquiries and feedback more quickly and efficiently. It\u2019s a win for both sides. \nSocial media customer service has become a combination of troubleshooting, engagement and building community. Like traditional methods of customer service, some companies are better at it than others. Here are a few companies that have nailed their social media customer service: \nZappos\n\n\nOnline retailer Zappos.com has set the bar for social media customer service. Its approach focuses on making authentic connections via social networks rather than selling or promoting products.\nSince meeting customer needs is the goal, Zappos staff will spend time to help a person find an item they don\u2019t carry \u2014 even though they\u2019re making no money off the sale. Still, it\u2019s valuable in building customer appreciation and trust. CEO Tony Hsieh recognizes that the web gives everyone a voice \u2014 including Zappos customers \u2014 and what customers say on blogs and social networks can reach millions. That\u2019s why Zappos treats every interaction as an opportunity not to make a sale, but to shed positive light on the brand.\nStaff are encouraged to be transparent in their tweets, which helps make customers feel like they know them and can be comfortable reaching out. The interaction is authentic, leaving the customer satisfied and likely to tell others about the experience.\nPottery Barn\nPottery Barn is an interesting example of social media customer service because it shows that exceptional customer service online doesn\u2019t always translate offline.\nOne customer, Jennifer Hellum, sought customer service after the glass top on her Pottery Barn table shattered in the extreme Arizona heat last summer. Calling the customer service line and the store where she bought the table didn\u2019t get her anywhere. A few weeks later, she posted photos of the tabletop explosion on Pottery Barn\u2019s Facebook fan page. Within 30 minutes she had a call from a customer relations representative who worked with her to find a new tabletop and reimbursed her for it.\nThough the company engages customers best via Facebook, its YouTube channel does a good job of building community online. Video topics include how-tos for party planners, designer profiles and featured products. By giving advice about and telling the story behind products, Pottery Barn's YouTube channel brings customers beyond the purchase \u2014 a proactive form of customer service.\nBoingo\n \n\n\n \njdehn Why do boingo hotspots never work?   22 Nov 2010  from Twitterrific  \n\n\n\n \nboingo @jdehn Never say never. Let's make it happen. Which hotspot are you at and on which device? Do you have the software installed?   22 Nov 2010  from web in reply to jdehn  \n\n\n\n \u2014 this quote was brought to you by quoteurl  \nBoingo understands the essence of all that social media customer service entails: technical support, customer engagement and community building. The Wi-Fi service connects with customers in all these ways on Facebook, Twitter, Flickr and LinkedIn. \nOn Twitter, representatives scan the web for mentions of the brand and reach out to customers with both positive and negative feedback. They\u2019re quick to find people reporting technical issues and often offer to connect by e-mail. Kind words about the brand will often see a retweet or note of thanks in a sincere, non-corporate tone. Each of the three social media customer service representatives have their name and headshot on the @boingo profile page, adding to the transparency of their tweets.\nBoingo\u2019s Facebook Page is also a hub for responding to troubleshooting inquiries, but just like their Flickr and LinkedIn profiles, it helps to build community. While some posts are company or product updates from Boingo\u2019s blog, representatives more often post relevant links, videos and discussion questions. Anything related to the Internet, technology or travel seems to be fair game for the Facebook wall, showing Boingo understands the interests of its community members and is using the space for more than drawing attention to its own brand.\n\r\nWhat\u2019s Your Pick?\r\n\nWhat social media customer service made your year? Let us know in the comments or nominate them for a Mashable Award.\n\r\nThe Mashable Awards Gala at Cirque du Soleil Zumanity (Vegas)\r\n\n\n\n\n\nIn partnership with Cirque du Soleil, The Mashable Awards Gala event will bring together the winners and nominees, the Mashable community, partners, media, the marketing community, consumer electronics and technology brands and attendees from the 2011 International CES Convention to Las Vegas on Thursday, January 6, 2011. Together, we will celebrate the winners and the community of the Mashable Awards at the Cirque du Soleil Zumanity stage in the beautiful New York New York Hotel. The event will include acts and performances from our partner Cirque du Soleil Zumanity. In addition, there will be special guest presenters and appearances.\nDate: Thursday, January 6th, 2011 (during International CES Convention week)Time: 7:00 \u2013 10:00 p.m. PTLocation: Cirque du Soleil Zumanity, New York New York Hotel, Las VegasAgenda: Networking, Open Bars, Acts, Surprises and the Mashable Awards Gala presentationsSocialize: Facebook, Foursquare, Meetup, Plancast, Twitter (Hashtag: #MashableAwards)\nSponsorships are available. Please contact sponsorships@mashable.com for more information.\n\n\n\n\nMashable Awards Category Sponsor:\n\nResearch In Motion is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of innovative wireless solutions for the worldwide mobile communications market. Through the development of integrated hardware, software and services that support multiple wireless network standards, RIM provides platforms and solutions for seamless access to time-sensitive information including email, phone, SMS messaging, Internet and intranet-based applications, including the BlackBerry\u00AE wireless platform and the new BlackBerry PlayBook. For the latest on the BlackBerry PlayBook visit the Inside BlackBerry Blog.\nImages courtesy of iStockphoto, lightkeeper; ManoelNetto, Laughing Squid; and Jennifer Hellum."^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
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