This post was not going to be an example of good public relations when I initially began writing it in my head.
I was almost certain I would need to “pause” before actually touching the keyboard so I didn’t post anything I would regret. I was not a happy customer.
You see, about a year ago I purchased a rather expensive Lexmark all-in-one printer for my home office. A couple of months ago, I started receiving a printhead error message. I tried cleaning the printhead, as instructed by the owner’s manual. I also tried removing, cleaning and reinserting it, as proposed on the online support site. Neither method worked, making it clear that I needed to purchase a new printhead, a part that only can be purchased through Lexmark, not at an office supply store.
You don’t realize how much you use your printer until it’s not functioning. I was thrilled when the part arrived. Unfortunately, when I installed it, I got a different error message. Frustrated, I decided to return the part and replace the entire printer. At this point, I thought the loss of productivity and inconvenience outweighed the cost of a replacement.
That’s when the journey to return the unused printhead began.
The first thing I discovered was that Lexmark requires a Return Merchandise Authorization (RMA) number to make a return. The number cannot be retrieved online, at least I couldn’t find a way. When I finally remembered to call the technical support center for the RMA, I spent more than 16 minutes attempting to communicate with a technician who had never heard of an RMA number and wasn’t sure why I would want one or where to retrieve one.
During my extended hold time, I began Tweeting. See how the conversation played out below.
I wouldn’t previously have thought this post would be about Lexmark’s amazing public relations. However, this quick, personalized, helpful response is an excellent example of how companies can leverage social media to interact directly with their customers. I would gladly purchase another Lexmark printer, simply based on this response.
Well played, Lexmark. Well played!
Marc Zazeela says
Kenna,
While the long waits on the phone must have been frustrating, it seems that they did a much better job at communicating via SoMe.
Not every customer will want to, or be able to, communicate via SoMe. I think it is important for businesses to be able to engage their customers, effectively and efficiently, via all mediums.
Glad they turned your experience from frustrating to positive.
Cheers,
Marc
Prof KRG says
Marc,
They did a much better job on social media. The call center was a nightmare. And, of course, the person I spoke to could not communicate well in English, so that increased my frustration.
After this post, another Lexmark representative contacted me via email, offering a direct phone number for me to call and have someone walk me through attempting to repair my current printer. I think I’ll try it. It could save me several hundred dollars on a replacement.
Overall, a bad situation turned out to be positive because of their social media response. I know it’s a big job, but social media really does give companies a better method of interacting with their customers.
Thanks for reading, responding and feeling my pain.
Kenna