Social Media Matters

"Capitalism is better than Socialism."

On the contrary, I don't believe Capitalism works without Socialism.  We are social beings, who exist within a social contract that is literally the very fabric of our world.  We need and depend on each other, and the more social we are, the more connected, and understanding of each others' wants and needs, the better off we will all be.  Social Media today is the saving grace of Capitalism.

I have in the past run aground with a sales associate or two.  Maybe he or she had a bad day, maybe I had a bad day, maybe there was just a misunderstanding of the agreement.  In local instances, a word with the Manager is usually sufficient.  However, when that he or she is a Manager, then things are different.  Having worked in retail myself, and living with someone with more than two decades of experience behind the counter, I can tell you customer service can be difficult at the best of times.  What I experienced in the past beyond the Managerial level, was lengthy.  You could write a letter or send an e-mail, but you usually never heard anything back.  If you were lucky, you might get a letter with a coupon, but good luck getting wrongful charges reversed!

Today, we live in a world much more reactive, because we have this social web, "the intertubes," or whatever the our inter-connectivity is to be nick-named tomorrow...  Our Social-Sharing and reaction to each others losses IS the thing that causes marketplace changes.  We lacked this even 10 years ago.  "Times, they are a changing."

Just last week, I posted a blog and a reddit.com piece about a bad experience I had with Enterprise Rent-a-Car.  It took less than 72 hours and 20,000 hits for them to respond accordingly.  In less than a week, they resolved the issue fully with me, and all is right between us.  Truly, I have never in my 37 years seen such a quick positive reaction to a customer complaint.  Granted, I had good grounds in which to complain, but still, 6 days...!  That is amazing, astounding, utterly astonishing.

With that, I would like to thank both Reddit.com and Enterprise.  You have both given me faith in Socialism and hope for Capitalism.