So, from time to time, I've been known to share the #FAIL social media mistakes that I find. Today, I'm happy because what I have to share with you is about as far from a #FAIL as it can get!
Meet Mark Mullet. Mark is the Owner/head-honcho/marketing mind behind our local Zeek's Pizza here in Issaquah. Zeek's is a regional chain in the Seattle area that makes, hands down, the best pizza in the whole region. It's a must eat if you ever come out to the Pacific North West. They hand throw the dough behind a glass fronted kitchen (talk about transparency in food prep!) which is an impressive show in its own right - their cooks compete in the national dough throwing competitions! I really couldn't tell you all the awesome things about this place in just a single blog post. Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz!
I Yelped them after my first few positive experiences at Zeek's. It was a good review, very positive, but to be fair, I did point out some of the things that they were lacking on, like having a complete staff due to the economy (which is a problem MOST establishments are facing currently, btw!).
A few days later, I got an email telling me that I had a yelp message, which was kind of cool since I don't get yelp messages very often. I opened it, and here's what I found:
I thought it was pretty darned awesome of him not only to RESPOND to the feedback, but also to invite me to introduce myself to him. Immediately, I told my twitter followers about how cool this place was to interact like that. Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz! I took him up on his offer for an introduction the next time I was in and, again, I was blown away.
Mark isn't one of those guys who puts on the sales face. He took the time to make an honest and genuine connection with me. We talked about everything from my review, which he said was quite fair in assessment, to his new marketing ventures in social media, including foursquare.
Now, I've been deciding whether or not to explore foursquare for the last few months. Mark's enthusiasm for the platform pushed me over the edge, and I got an account. Guess what? Zeek's Pizza also effectively uses that platform too! When I checked in the first time, I was told about the tip to ask my server about "Fernando's Tacos" and get my free scoop of ice cream after my pizza.
A scoop of ice cream. It's not much to give away when you look at the real cost. Not when what you're reaping is a whole load of Gen Xers and Gen Y people making sure that all their friends know about it too. Bzzz Bzzz Bzzz!
Every time I've been in his establishment since, not only do the daily staff remember my name or my face, but he always takes time to say hi, and maybe tell me about some of the fun stuff he's doing, like trivia nights, or live music. He knows how to leverage not only a customer relationship, but also how to use social media to reinforce that relationship.
Social Media is about relationships and the movement of ... well BZZ BZZ BZZ! This guy gets it. Does your company?