Want Customer Service? Complain on Twitter

Want to complain about a faulty product or shabby service? Or ask someone how to set up your cable modem? If you can do so in 140-characters or less, then your odds of getting a response are pretty high.

A growing numbers of big-name companies, including Comcast (CMCSA), JetBlue (JBLU) and UPS (UPS), have found a new use for Twitter: customer service. Now, in a short, to-the-point tweet, consumers can ask questions, report problems and air grievances. Even better: Tweeting a complaint is one way to make sure it actually gets heard -- and renders a response.

From a business perspective, a social media presence provides a cheap and easy way to resolve issues, says Larry Chiagouris, a marketing professor at Pace University in New York City. Since other Twitter users can see both sides of the conversation (and that issues are being resolved), it can also boost the company’s reputation online.

But it's the consumer who is getting the better end of the deal, says John Breyault, vice president of public policy, telecommunications and fraud at the National Consumers League, a consumer advocate. “Someone monitoring the company’s Twitter feed is a little higher up the food chain than a regular customer service representative,” he says. Response time is typically swift, too.

A recent tweet to Comcast asking about procedures to add VOiP to business-class Internet service got a response within two minutes. JetBlue tackled a question about its food kiosks at JFK airport in 13 minutes, while Bank of America (BAC) offered opt-out advice to a consumer annoyed about a 9 a.m. telemarketing call within 45 minutes.

When it comes to tweeting complaints just don't overdo it. Save your tweets for urgent issues or ones that remain unresolved after a few tries through the regular customer service channels, advises Breyault. Tactics like these lose their effect if everyone uses them in lieu of, say, trying the toll-free hotline. (For more options to try, read our story here.)

Here’s a selection of companies interacting with consumers via Twitter: