Martha Stewart vs. Apple: A Lesson In Social Customer Service and Missed Opportunities

#Facepalm

“Come ON, Apple!”

This was my reaction, when I read the news about Martha Stewart’s broken iPad and her many tweets that ensued.  Read the article here (http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/27/martha-stewart-ipad_n_4002269.html?utm_hp_ref=technology)

I get that Apple wants to keep their PR close to the hip.  I get that they don’t want to play on social media because…well, they’re Apple.  But what frustrates me is that such a forward thinking company is still employing backwards methods when it comes to customer service.  Had a system been in place for monitoring these types of social interactions (especially from a notable Twitter account like Martha’s), Apple could have quickly addressed her issue and resolved it offline.

Instead, they brought a digital PR nightmare upon themselves when Martha tweeted the following:

The point I’m trying to make is not the obvious one: that Apple missed an opportunity here and could have done a better job of handling it.  Something tells me Apple will bounce back just fine after this social mishap…

The point I’m trying to make here is that your brand won’t.  

When people are talking about your brand, business or company and they’re doing it negatively, there is no reason for you to let those conversations permeate the social atmosphere breeding more negativity.  Unless you’re a prestigious business like Apple (and there aren’t many of those out there), it’s not only a missed opportunity, but it’s a message to your customer base that you just don’t care.  It could be detrimental to the growth of your brand, your image and therefore, your success.

What do you think? Did Apple handle it correctly? Do you monitor online conversations about you brand?