Bullet Point Branding: building trust

The Big McProblem!

To Be Or Not To Be ... A Squeaky Wheel

OK so in all fairness I complained on Twitter about McDonald's because I know that they have a strong active monitoring presence there with the use of their @Reachout_McD account.

The fact that they also already follow me gave me fast food street cred as well and it practically guaranteed at the very least a response to my tweet.

Twitter Fixed My McProblem | The Birth Of the McWipeOff

Beads Of Nervous Soda Sweat
Living In Fear
Of The Repercussions | Bullet Point Branding

Which is how it all started out, my local McDonald's down the street giving me the very least, the very least explanation when I ask which sauces they have for their Chicken Nuggets™.

The very least when practically demanding by largely lettered signage that I have my wallet out and cash slash credit or debit card out and ready to swipe in the 10 feet of curved driveway that exists between the speaker box and the first guard tower (drive-thru window).

And the very least in customer service when they hand me two large overflowing cups of soon to be sticky soda dribbling down the sides of the cups from the lids that are ever so carefully not attached correctly and pop off only to spill more sugary delight all over my cup holders when I manage to set them down.

The Last Very Least!

I guess you can call it the straw that broke the camels back but I just got tired of always having to look like a jerk because I ask the second guard tower worker (drive-thru window) to kindly wipe the sides of my cups before shoving them out the window to become ant magnets in my cars cup holders (google affiliate ad). I was tired of the kiss my ass looks I got from the friendly McTeam members when I had to ask them to provide me with decent customer service by thinking ahead and making sure the robot that made the drink didn't provide any overage down the sides of my beverage container!

And I was tired of being honked at not by amazingly beautiful soccer moms that can't get enough of my golden locks in the drop off lane at my kids elementary school but rather from the pissed off rednecks revving the Chevy Silverado 2500 Dully fully equipped with a power-stroke engine a 12 inch lift kit, 35 inch mudgrappler tires and one of those outlawed dog ball bag tow bar charms. All because they thought I was making trouble and holding up the line during dinner rush,god forbid I ask for a cup to be dry on the outside and full of liquid on the inside like the Eco friendly Styrofoam manufactures intended!

So I tweeted!

Original Tweet That Started The Boom | Bullet Point Branding

When I got home from my McVoyage last night I consumed the 1500 calories that did not manage to spill all over the floor of my Mini Cooper then went right for justice.

That's right I tweeted a smart ass comment directly to the McCommunity Manager and then I waited, I waited for the bloating to subside, I waited my blood pressure to stabilize and I waited for a response.

Naturally I feel asleep waiting because of the carbohydrate crazed coma that had set in from what I believe in scientific terms is called the "Grimus Effect" sooooo....

Help Us Help You

Actual Email To McDonald's | Bullet Point Branding

When I woke I had a notification on my Hootsuite Account (shout out!) it said blah blah thanks for your concerns blah blah I am a standard auto response to disgruntled McCustomers but if you really care go to this link and complain a little more.

I was more than disappointed at an auto response, no response at all would have been a better avenue. You bet your sweet ass I did.

Here is a copy of the email I sent, it was the total opposite of a Sour Patch Kid™ first I was sweet, then I was sour!

Should I Wait Some More | Aint Nobody Got Time For That!

Figuring I did my part as a concerned McCitizen of Fast Food Nation, I went about my normal daily routine longing to forget the slippery hands that turned sappy from the sloppy cola mixture I was forced to grab hold of when all of a sudden my phone rang! It was none other than the Guest Services Manager from my local McDonald's WHAT? Carrie was her name and fixing my McProblem was her game!

She explained to me that she was informed through an email sent from corporate headquarters that I was unhappy about the fact that I was continuously given cups that put me at risk of riding dirty and that she personally penned a memo to be read by team members pre shift about the importance of keeping me sticky free in the 2000 One and Three and that she would be holding the drive-thru team personally accountable for making sure each cup is given the McWipeOff before departing on the long road to Satisfied Customerville USA!

My McFaith Has Been Re Instated!

McDonald's Gets It Right | Bullet Point Branding

To quote Baby's Father in Dirty Dancing the late great Jerry Orbach "When I'm Wrong, I say I'm Wrong". I had to tweet again to let my followers know that with the great power of Social Media Complaining comes the greater power of Social Media Acknowledgement!

The McEstablishment had restored my faith in business ethics and customer service. My concerns had gone from unnoticed poor procedures to sending a complaint on Twitter to getting a call from my local restaurant telling me they are on it all in less than 24 hours!

Final Thoughts
So in closing I say thanks McDonald's, not for making salty food so easy to consume in 8 bites while driving a stick shift in the rain or for ensuring that hundreds of former circus clowns will always have work at Ronald McDonald Foundation meet and greets all across America, but for being one of the best Social Media Monitoring, Customer Service Giving, McProblem Solving Masters in the game right now!

Thats right ... I'm Still Loving It!

Author Bryan Fulton is the Founder and CEO of Bullet Point Branding a company designed to deliver creative content and social media strategy to small businesses that do not have the time or manpower to effectively connect to their clients and customers through Social Media in house.

Bullet Point Branding concentrates on giving your company an authentic social media presence and creating engagement throughout your niche!

To see what Bullet Point Branding can do for your business visit or email them at: bulletpointbranding.com | info@BulletPointBranding.com

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Making it Connect | Bullet Point Branding

Do you have Triple A for your Brand?

A few weeks back we offered up some easy ways to make your content stand out and insure it is retained with our: 3 Ways to Create Successful Content post. So today we wanted to dive deeper into our last tactic, what makes information "Connect"?

Regardless of what anyone says the bottom line is this:

"Marketing is about Connection".

If you can connect to your consumers at a personal level you will have their attention for a long time. Marketing should be geared towards your customers emotions, their needs will never trump their wants so what better way to engage them than through connection?

In social media connecting is all about being present and authentic in your campaigns. Social media has made it possible for people to express whats on their minds the minute they think about it. Your customers or prospects have the ability to start an online discussion about the likes and dislikes of your company or product. You need to be monitoring the web for specific keywords and phrases that allow you to diffuse or capitalize on the situation at hand.

If the conversation is good you want to capture that excitement and use it in promotions and testimonials. You want to engage your patrons through immediate thankfulness ( is that a word? ) and appreciation. It shows your community that you are listening to them and value their opinions. You can also find out the things you are doing right and keep going down those paths.

If the discussions are negative you want to be able to fix the situation as soon as it happens to avoid further damage to your brand. Here at Bullet Point Branding we have a protocol we use when monitoring a company online and we come across a potentially negative comment or post:

We Acknowledge, Apologize, and Amend.

The exact policy is preset with the company at the beginning of our relationship but those three actions are vital to keeping your customers satisfied. We call them the "Triple A's of Engagement" you can call them what you want just make sure you are using them!

When you connect with your audience it solidifies your bond with them. You gain their trust, you make lifelong relationships, and you ultimately become more profitable. Connection is much more than pushing a message out there and hoping it sticks. Connection is about listening to your prospects and learning as much as you can about your customers.

How are you connecting with your audience?

Author: Bryan Fulton is the Founder and CEO of Bullet Point Branding a company designed to deliver creative content and social media strategy to small businesses that do not have the time or manpower to effectively connect to their clients and customers through Social Media in house.