customer comments

Recently I’ve been drawn to online conversations about businesses. Perhaps the United Breaks Guitars video really caught my attention. In my role as a downtown advocate and business recruiter, I am challenged by some of the things I “overhear” online.

My most recent experience was very positive; in fact I was being solicited for a reference on a downtown business that I support personally. I say that because I support all downtown businesses professionally. One of my Twitter friends was talking about his upcoming workout at The Urban Studios (a personal training facility on N 4th Street). I teased that the boxing class will wear you out. Another Studios patron tweeted that the workout equaled exhaustion and arm failure. Both the patron and I agree that The Studios have some of the best workouts either of us has ever had.

The mutual patron by the way is Chris Green, the GM at the Hilton Wilmington Riverside. Since working out at The Urban Studios, he has lost an amazing 26+ pounds. He even admits to not eating right and still being successful.

On the flip side of the coin is an unnamed ice cream place. A customer recently tweeted that the customer service there was the worst ever. In fact, he will probably not ever go back. Another Twitterer (always confused about that term) sounded somewhat surprised. Personally, I’m blinded by the awesome smells of the unnamed ice cream place.

Later in the week, I shared the experience with a few of my board members. One of the board members had some great inside knowledge and I’m proud to say, the ice cream shop will soon change. It turns out the owners are buying a condo within one block of the shop so that they can address the challenges they have. They recognize that they cannot provide the leadership and support necessary from halfway across the state.

More importantly, they recognize the value of good customer service, and they did so without me having to tell them about what I read online. Perhaps monitoring the conversations about your business online are just as important as watching the business from behind the cash register.

Remember, if you are an entrepreneur, or curious about moving or expanding your business, please let me know if I can assist. I work for the mutual benefit of all downtown Wilmington, so let our organization help you.