http://tier10lab.com/2011/11/04/the-power-of-social/ -- Social media has the power to make or break a reputation – a lesson Brickell Honda demonstrated this week, when the Miami car dealership successfully turned a customer’s negative experience into a positive one. By taking the necessary steps to resolve the issue [...]

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The Power of Social [STUDY]
http://tier10lab.com/2011/11/04/the-power-of-social/
November 4, 2011
By Elizabeth Frey
Social media has the power to make or break a reputation – a lesson Brickell Honda demonstrated this
week, when the Miami car dealership successfully turned a customer’s negative experience into a
positive one. By taking the necessary steps to resolve the issue, Brickell Honda was not only able to
maintain their reputation, but also sell a car over a social media site.
During a routine monitoring of their Twitter account, Tier10 Marketing noticed the negative post by a
disappointed customer. He tweeted his post to his 200+ followers at 11:30am. Due to the nature of social
media, bad news can travel fast, and the repercussions of the dissatisfied customer’s tweet could have
resulted in a negative reputation for the dealer and the loss of the sale to a competitor.
Brickell Honda was able to salvage the situation, however, by addressing the problem appropriately. They
contacted the customer via Twitter and by 7:00pm later that day, he was working with Rick Barazza, Co-
Owner of Brickell Honda, to set up an appointment to buy a car the next day.
A key element to addressing the customer’s complaint was working with them in a comfortable
environment. “Most of the transactions were via Twitter,” says Andrew Diffenderfer, Marketing Director at
Tier10 Marketing. “Because they initially filed their complaint there, that was the best place to find a
resolution.”
Contacting the customer through social media also added to the dialog he was already having with his
followers, and provided Brickell Honda an opportunity to demonstrate a good example of their customer
service directly in that arena.

2. When monitored and utilized effectively, social media sites like Twitter can provide a great value and
benefit to dealerships and allow them to address concerns immediately. Before social media, once a
customer left a dealership, the door would close on communication as well. There was no timely way to
know whether a customer was satisfied, and no way to address their concerns if they were dissatisfied.
Now, social media provides dealers an opportunity to engage with customers after they leave the lot and
ensure their final experience is positive.
“Tier10 Marketing is an industry leader in social media, employing some of the top social media talent in
the nation to oversee our clients' platforms,” explains Tier10 Emerging Media Director Joseph Olesh. “We
take social media very seriously and will continue to utilize Facebook, Twitter, and the like, to promote the
best interests of our clients.”
“The most important lesson here is full transparency. If you’re going to expose yourself in different
mediums, be prepared to interact with customers through those avenues,” says Diffenderfer. “This simple
fifteen second task of reading through a Twitter feed saved their reputation and sold a car for the dealer.”
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