Tuesday, July 9, 2013

Why Facebook? Why?

   Well, I can't resist a jab at Facebook. In an effort to boost the "social media" around the book, I turned to their site, and decided I'd go ahead and make an investment, albeit small, to get things rolling for "Alphabet Success".

   It was NO problem finding places to sign up for paid advertising for a business page. They scream at you from every conceivable direction. So like a good customer I put in my details, and then submitted them for approval. Bing! Approved. On to the next thing...

  Stop! Why are you posting and signing on for this from a foreign land? (Sweden, which is obviously part of the axis of financial evil) What is the nature of your business on the site? Etc...  It was like a TSA experience gone awry. Honestly, if I had known the level of hassle, I wouldn't have bothered. I'd rather deal with Google where, based on past experience, nobody is sniffing around me like a rabid animal.

  But I digress. When you are lucky enough that someone gives you business, it should be a pleasurable, smooth experience. Ideally ended with a lovely thank you. Bringing us back to DEF - Don't Ever Forget - To Say Thank You. Part of that thanks is being easy to deal with whether in a personal exchange or online.

   Facebook gets a F in executing this concept.

   To make things a little balanced, let's take a look at another behemoth, American Express. A big company with a serious presence in my wallet.

   Over the weekend, one of my pre-set fraud alerts went off from my American Express Business Card. This is a card which actually doesn't see a lot of action for some travel reward seeking reasons. So it was pretty easy for me to spot that the charge was BS. Someone in NY was buying (or trying to) concert tickets since they have a cash value.

   Fast forward to my call to American Express. Everything was handled smooth as silk. Card replaced, charges declined and washed away. Parting words, "Thank you for your patience Mr. Fargo in dealing with this today. Is there anything else we can do for you at American Express?"  Classy, and followed up quickly with an e-mail confirming the conversation.

   Based on my experience yesterday, yes there is something American Express can do for me. Conduct a hostile takeover of Facebook and teach the youngsters to remember who keeps the lights on. The site does have wonderful reach, but so did MySpace once upon a time.

   My thanks to both organizations for making it so easy to find reference material for the topics in my book.

   Don't forget to get your copy of "Alphabet Success" at Amazon.com. Only $3.99. You can borrow it for free if you are a Prime Member! Thanks in advance for your order!  :-)

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