How Many Times Per Day Do We Ask Ourselves These Questions
* Will major companies or brands ever understand the importance of "listening" to online conversations?
* Is this this whole concept of "online listening" just a matter of hype and social media hocus-pocus?
* Does showing online audiences that we're listening really do anything (e.g., start engagement, build goodwill, do anything?)
The Ritz-Carlton Gets It …
I recently read a great article in Forbes.com: How Ritz-Carlton Stays at the Top. The article is an interview of its CEO, Simon F. Cooper, who describes a number of the processes and the organization's famous service culture such as:
* Its Famous Service Motto: "We are ladies and gentlemen serving ladies and gentlemen."
* Employee Trust: Every Ritz employee is permitted to spend up to $2000 per guest to make sure a guest is satisfied (and that's per guest incident not per year)
* A Compelling Objective: Create an Absolutely Wonderful Stay for a Guest
The Ritz doesn't just talk-the-talk, they walk-the-walk. Their organization carries the distinction as the only service company in America to receive the Malcolm S. Baldridge Quality Award twice.
The Ritz-Carlton's Senior Director of Public Relations, Alison Sitch Demonstrates Online Listening, Engagement, and Brand Monitoring
I tweeted about the Forbes article late Wednesday evening around 9 pm – 10 pm and referenced the $2000 per guest factoid because I thought that was pretty cool. I learned a lot from reading the article, and thought my Twitter Followers might enjoy reading it too.
Here's what impresses me about the Ritz-Carlton's online listening engagement by Alison Sitch — Check this out:
* I received a "Mention" in my Twitter stream the following morning from @RitzCarltonPR (Alison Sitch) thanking me for the tweet I sent about the article — Unbelievable!
* Not only did Alison thank me but she also sent out 11 "thank you tweets" acknowledging 60+ people who also tweeted about the Forbes.com article (based on my quick scan of her Twitter stream).
* I have never received any type of "thank you note" or communication from a large or prestigious organization like the Ritz-Carlton for any tweets I send (and I've sent out a lot of tweets).
I just think this is a great example of what Chris Brogan says is "showing others how we can be human at a distance." In a cynical age where there's more mistrust than trust in the business world, isn't it great to hear the words "thank you?"
* If you received a thank you note like this wouldn't it make you feel good too?
* Wouldn't it make you feel like there's someone genuinely trying to treat you well and wasn't taking your kindness for granted?
* Isn't that something important to all of us as human beings (whether we're communicating online or in-person?
Please tell me what you think in your comments.
It made me feel really good, and I'm now following @RitzCarltonPr (aka Alison Sitch) on Twitter. Here's Alison's Twitter profile in case you'd like to follow her also: