Make you own customer service department with Twitter!

Hello there and I hope Crow looked after you nicely with his blogging over the last two weeks. He makes such a fuss when I ask him to step in for me, complaining that his beak gets sore with all the typing, but I’m sure he loves it really…

Now I was reminded of the power of Twitter this week when I used it to complain about @DolphinMusic who had supplied me with the wrong guitar cable. They were also two weeks late with the delivery, so I was not terribly happy with their service and duly complained using their email address for Customer ‘Service.’

Nothing happened.

I wasn’t serviced.

So, I decided to tweet them and complain loudly about what I considered to be poor service and – (as Cilla Black would have said) surprise surprise – I had a response within a couple of hours asking for my details and email address.

On supplying these, the Sales Manager (a nice chap called Andrew) emailed me to apologise and then sent me a new, top quality cable FOC that day….which really was good customer service.

And the moral of the story?

If you’re not on Twitter – who is complaining about your service …and you’re not there to hear it?

Twitter is a force for good and is a great way to reach organisations that could remain faceless and uncaring. I didn’t even know Dolphin Music had a Twitter presence…I just took a chance! And I knew if they were out there, they wouldn’t want to read bad PR in the timeline that I share with 1,500 followers! They didn’t!

So, next time you need to complain – use Twitter. It works.

And if Crow ever complains about me – I’m on Twitter @RichardMaun so I’ll see it and can forward it on to customer services. They can send him some ointment for his beak. He’d like that!

Tags: Crow, Twitter

You can paddle too... just avoid the moorhens!

It’s me! Crow! Hello! I was chatting to a moorhen recently, when I was dangling my feet in the lake to cool off on a hot afternoon, and he said that in July there will be 5 Saturdays, 5 Sundays and 5 Fridays. He also said that this only happens once every 823 years. Clearly moorhens don’t get out much…! Caw!

Well now, if I get 5 pigeons and bang their heads together 5 times, they will be just as stupid as any other 5 pigeons. And it will add nothing to the world, except to remind us that pigeons (and moorhens) can’t really be trusted with anything more complicated than a pebble.

Crows, on the other wing, are well known for their smarts. Apparently there’s a famous leader called Barra-caw! Bama and he has one to advise him on Food and Health matters, after the squirrel he had before made free with his nuts.

And if you’re wondering what my point is, it’s this – Go paddling!

Despite the moorhen’s tedious knowledge of the calendar it was great to get my feet wet and wiggle my claws in the cool water. Being a smart crow I know that sometimes you have to ignore the waves of useless information that people throw around, and instead go out and cool your feet. Let your tiny human brains cool down too and just give yourself a chance to relax for a minute.

Oh – there’s a coincidence – my chum has just texted to say he’s blowing up the paddling pool for Mr Bama as we speak. He also said something about an oval orifice, but texting with your beak is tricky, so he may have mis-tapped.

Anyway, my message to you is to stop work and go for a paddle this week. Even if all you can do is soak your feet in a bowl of water. It’s so refreshing – more so if there aren’t any moorhens about.

Right, I have a pigeon to annoy, so I’m off. I’ll be back soon, once Richard needs someone to do the job properly for him, vis a vis the blog! Until then my friends…Caw! Be good!

Tags: Crow

The smart birds know that 'giving to receive' is good business!

Caw it’s me! Crow! Richard has page proofs to read for his new book, called How To Keep Your Job, and has retreated to the study, leaving me in charge for two weeks. And me with my beak only just recovered from all the typing last time! But I’m a trouper so I will carry on and won’t mention my pain again. I mean when you have to put up with pigeons, a sore beak is nothing!

Now, here’s a question for you: When did you last help a business colleague for free?

I’m asking because I was recently invited to help a sparrow who was setting up a little boutique, called LBJ’s (Little Brown Jobs, to you and me, that’s bird slang for the hedgerow hoppers) and who just couldn’t afford my rates. Normally, I charge for my time, but remembering that Richard has had my time for free (I taught him all he knows) I thought that it would be public spirited to waive my fees for the greater good of society.

Life has been tough in the tree and even harder for some of the hedgerow types, so it feels right to be magnanimous and offer support to a fellow of the feathered fraternity. And I know that when you put something into the world it tends to repay you.

Ooh ow ow, need to rest for a minute…

…Back now…where was I? Oh yes, giving to receive. Well, it turns out that the sparrow knows a robin, who knows a talented tit who has offered me some free tap dancing lessons! Caw! How cool is that!

I could be the next big winner on Strictly Come Birding! Last year’s winner was a very smooth heron, who could tango like a genius. And when I win…I’m off! And Richard will have to find another bird to carry his bags for him.

But I digress… the point is that sometimes it can pay handsomely to give your expertise as a gift.*

Now…I’m off to LBJ’s to get measured up for some spangly trousers for my dancing! Riverdance here I come! Caw caw! See you next week!

*But not to pigeons. They’re too silly to waste any time on. They still think cheese-cloth is cool. Caw!

Tags: Crow, giving

Some sun, a wedding and a thought for us all.

Hello again! Caw! It’s me, Crow, back for a second week. Richard has asked me to ‘deputise’ for him. What a cheek! I’m the real power behind the throne…as we all know…

And what a lovely sunny week we’ve had and with that wedding too. I must admit that I had to wipe away a tear or two.

The bride looked lovely, the groom smiled all day and his bonkers relations behaved themselves, so it all worked out well for Katrina and Wally – two of my favourite sparrows.

We’ve only just taken down the bunting from the tree and tidied up the place, so it’s been a fun weekend for everyone. And when one of the silly pigeons sniped that Kat’s just a common house sparrow, I gave him a piece of my bird brain:

“Background doesn’t matter,” I said, “she’s a lovely bird, they’re marrying for love and Wally had to ask for her wing. She didn’t just give it.”

Which reminds me, if there’s something you would like then go ahead and ask for it. Whether it’s an order confirmation, a kiss, or breakfast in bed – you can assert yourself and get your needs met.

Now, I need to go and ask the pigeons to cough up towards the wedding present we all chipped in for: A fabulous en-suite bird bath. A perfect addition to any nest.

Caw! Thanks for reading this and see you soon. Bye!

Tags: asking, Crow

Watch out for weasel words ...and pigeons.

Caw! It’s me, your favourite Crow! Hello! Richard is too full of Easter eggs and says he needs to rest a bit so has asked me to step in for the next two weeks. Personally I think he’s asleep in the garden.

And, being a bird, I’m not entirely in favour of you all eating eggs! I mean! Come on…that’s a bit insulting to us birds isn’t it!? Can’t you find something else, such as a chocolate cucumber?

Anyway, my message this week to all you non-birds is to be alert. On the telly we’ve had Spring Watch, Badger Watch and Kate Humble Watch. And now we need Weasel Word Watch.

A pigeon was being mean to one of my sparrow friends and told him that ‘people didn’t like him’. Not very nice was it? Well anyway the word ‘people’ used in this way is a weasel word….because it stands for ‘I’. The pigeon was too cowardly to say ‘I don’t like you’, so he pretended there were ‘other people’ involved. What a weasel!

Well, a pigeon. Much the same thing!

If a boss-bird says to you: ‘People say that you need to make some improvements’ …then look them in the eye and ask them:

A) Who exactly are these ‘people’ ?

B) What exactly do you mean by ‘some improvements’ ?

‘People’ and ‘some’ can be weasel words because the person using them is hiding behind them, instead of you giving you honest and objective feedback.

Assert yourself and ask for the facts behind the statement. It’s often the case that you’re doing fine and that someone else just thinks you’re not: the evidence is in your favour.

In the case of my sparrow friend, he’s a great laugh and has loads of friends. So, don’t let your Easter week get spoiled by any pigeons with weasel words. Have fun! I’m back next week. Caw!

Tags: Crow