Customer Service: Twitter saves day, mayor

This is a story about customer service. Via Twitter. About Foursquare.

It all started a couple of weeks ago. I was creating a business account (my own) on Foursquare.com. Playing with options and specials and updating some personal information. I also decided to change my email address for logging in, and that is where a two-week vacation from an app I use numerous times a day – and set up for others – began.

I logged out and was alerted to my problem the next time I tried to check in at my local. Panic ensued as I frantically entered any and every email address I’d ever had to try and log in on my phone. No luck. Sounds silly, but I felt like a balloon let go of at the fair.

The next chance I had I fired off a help desk request on the Foursquare website. I got a confirmation it was received, but days went by before a brief acknowledgment of my issue was addressed. Then another couple of days. Then another. No word back from the original responder.

Foursquare is swamped

I understand that the Foursquare office and service center has a skeleton crew. The company exploded so fast, and its not slowing down. I’m sure they have many bigger fish to fry than my little log in problem – like automating business verifications instead of how they are handled at this time – over the phone. Sheesh, yes I can wait.

But two weeks was too long. A meeting with a group of local business folks was looming – a meeting to TEACH them how to use this tool! It was imperative that I get back online with the app. Or look like a total fool. Not only that, but I received an email alert letting me know that I had lost yet another mayorship. Two losses in as many days. I was on fire.

Enter Twitter

I sent a message to @Foursquare (again) on the public time line, but this time I added Cc @dens (Dennis Crowley – co-founder of Foursquare) to the tweet. If you’ll recall I met Dennis briefly at the Eat, Drink & Be Social event in Cambridge, MA recently. I fancied myself a ‘connection’; should I name drop? Nothing left to lose, I concluded.

Presto. Four, FOUR minutes later I received a direct message from @dens. I emailed him my issue and history and he cc’d a reply to the help desk. Luckily, Anna, the person who replied early on, was on hand and immediately handled the ticket. After an exchange of a few emails, Anna had me back in action.

Lesson learned

Lesson learned here? Aside from paying better attention when updating my account, is don’t be afraid to go straight to the top. I did – and he was listening. Thank you Dennis and Anna.

Now to get my hard-earned mayorships back!

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