Though this blog exists primarily for small and medium-sized businesses, there is still a great deal that we can learn by observing the actions and operations of large corporations. This week, FedEx gave me a great example of perfectly executed Social Customer Relationship Management (sCRM) that I felt was worth sharing.

I knew that a package was on a FedEx truck and out for delivery, as I had been following the tracking. When I saw the FedEx truck stop outside my home briefly without delivering any packages to any of the surrounding houses, I though it to be odd and mused about it on Twitter. Just minutes later, I had this response:

Robin checked the status, and sent me a message alerting me as soon as the package showed up in their system as delivered. Unfortunately, there was an address issue and the package was delivered to the incorrect house. At that point, Robin’s shift was over, but there was immediately a new representative conversing with me on Twitter just as seamless as if nothing had changed. We moved to email to communicate more personal information about the delivery, and the rep stuck with me, answering my questions via emails until my issue was resolved.

So what did FedEx do right to make this a great example of well-executed sCRM?

• Monitoring social networks continually for chatter about their brand
• Replying to possible customer issues in near-real time
• A Seamless social media transition through a shift change

By continually monitoring social media channels to see what customers are saying about them, FedEx is heading off potential issues before they have a chance to damage the company’s reputation.

Social media, especially Twitter, provides businesses with a unique opportunity to interact with customers in real time, in a proactive way. Don’t let that opportunity pass you by.

Related articles

• CRM going Social (idealcrm.wordpress.com)
• No Need to ‘Change’ a Thing with FedEx New TV Ad (great-ads.blogspot.com)
• Digital Marketing Guide: Social CRM (adage.com)