Twelpforce needs to be tweaked

Best Buy’s Twelpforce service is missing two key components: usability and clarity. How quickly and effectively Best Buy closes those gaps will determine whether this prescient move pays off or fades as another great idea that didn’t quite make it. The current situation highlights the risks and rewards that come in social media initiatives and corporate partnerships.

Guiding principles for customer service and partnerships

Before I make my case for what didn’t work and what to do next, I’ll lay out the “ground rules” I’m basing my case on.

1. Set clear expectations with prospects and customers for what your service is and isn’t.
2. Offer intuitive service—or at least make it easy to use.
3. Make sure your partner is equal or superior to you in brand quality and resource quality and depth.
4. Build the bridge to where your customers want to go—as long as it’s also where you also want and are able to go.

What happened with my first experience

I had my first experience with the Twelpforce on Thanksgiving Day when seeking advice on what cellphone to choose for my father. After searches of both Best Buy’s website and Twitter I finally managed to find the Twelpforce. Being a novice Twitter user I had difficulty determining how to send them a Tweet. I wasn’t even sure anyone actually received it until 28 minutes later when I received a response. After two Tweets the Twelpforce rep told me I’d be better off going to the store for selection support.

Built-in challenges for Best Buy

• The learning curve for using Twitter is surprisingly steep. Twitter’s tutorials and Help articles leave a lot to be desired.
• Twitter doesn’t readily support “hold time” estimating the way a phone queue or instant message chat queue can.

Where Best Buy could improve the experience

• Be clearer in the ads who and what the service is for. The TV ads imply that the non-techie can go to Twelpforce for “instant” advice that includes product selection. Tweets are time-consuming if the consumer is clueless on where to start. Refine the ads so the examples shown very clearly show what the service does—and doesn’t—offer.
• Make it easier to find the Twelpforce. Even if the corporate website isn’t where you want them to go, when you’re launching something new consumers will go to what they know to find the new thing they want. Build them the bridge—even if it’s a temporary bridge.
• Make it easier for the Twitter novice or newbie. When your partner isn’t up to speed it’s incumbent on you to make sure the gap is bridged. In this case Best Buy might have its own “Help Library” or links to other best-in-class resources for how to start on Twitter, how to send the Twelpforce a message, etc.
• Create a way to monitor response times. Someone should be in place to set expectations when staff is inordinately busy. A non-response says we’re either uninterested or unable to pursue your business. 
• Teach staff how to ask concise clarifying questions. Twitter doesn’t let you provide much context, so when I started with a broad picture of what I was trying to do the service rep stopped there and sent me to the store. 30 seconds of description at my wireless carrier’s store lead to an instant response with exactly the right phone for my needs. The right clarifying question could have done the same on Twitter.

The bottom line

Great ideas are only as good as their execution. Usability for the consumer is 2nd only to the quality of the product itself in making that execution successful.

Related links

What Best Buy Learned About Service as Marketing and Empowering Employees
Buying, Selling and Twittering All the Way
Twelpforce home page