When an employee complains about various work-related issues to his or her friends and family members, it usually stays within the group. When an employee tweets his or her complaint about his employer on Twitter, it becomes public. It’s similar to speaking at a big conference surrounded by hundreds of people who listen to you and provide you with feedback. A Social Media channel post or tweet can reach a wide audience which can instantly respond to it.
A Milk Truck company that sells sandwiches and milk shakes recently fired its employee for tweeting . Brendan O’Connor complained on his personal Twitter account that a customer ordered food worth $170 and didn’t tip. Most important, he included the customer’s employer name in his tweet: “Shout out to the good people of Glass, Lewis & Co. for placing a $170 order and not leaving a tip. @glasslewis”. The company instantly replied to the tweet and decided to fire the employee.
Why a Social Media Policy Should Be a Part of Your Social Media Strategy
The public is divided over whether the company made the right decision by firing the employee. With the growing importance of social media, more and more stories similar to this one will occur. It is crucial for a company’s employees to be clear on what their social media “rules” are. Any company that either has a social media presence or is planning to build its presence through social media marketing should have a social media policy. You need to protect your brand reputation and create guidelines for how employees can use social media and what will happen if an employee moves beyond the policy. Employees are commonly associated with the companies they work for. Therefore, a small mistake on a social media site can cause a lot of trouble for your company’s reputation.
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