Why Businesses Need Social Media – The Technaglass Example

Living in Utah with the snowy and icy winter conditions and the semi-permanent state of construction on the local roads, it’s inevitable that every car owner needs to replace their windshield.

I used to have a “go to” guy for glass replacement, but needed to search for someone new when my Passat’s windshield crack grew far past the state’s maximum to be relicensed.

Like I typically do, I turned to an Internet search to provide a supplier.  Please understand the following circumstances I was considering when making this purchase.

1.  I knew I needed a windshield.  There was no way the one I had could be repaired.

2.  I had serious time constraints.  The tags had expired and the only thing keeping me from driving legally was the windshield.  I had paid the taxes and put on a temporary tag.

3.  I’m a procrastinator.

4.  The temporary tags had expired.

5.  Did I tell you I’m a procrastinator?

The auto windshield business is highly competitive.  There are tons of options, with little price variance because insurance companies typically pay the bill.  In this instance I was paying out-of-pocket.  Ultimately it comes down to service.  My old glass guy would come to my work or home to fix my windows.  I wanted the same kind of service for this transaction, especially because my tags were expired.

I did an Internet search for “windshields salt lake city.”  Up popped half a dozen names in Google maps.  I was actually trying to find a particular company my father used to use, but I didn’t recognize a name.  Oooh, there’s Technaglass.  They have eight reviews.  Let’s take a look!

As you can see, the first one is negative, but the others are all positive.  I applied my theory of reputation management, ignored that comment and clicked on their website.  Unfortunately it didn’t load.  Even though their phone number was listed, I didn’t want to call.  I put off my search to another day.  Did I tell you I was a procrastinator?

A few days later a fan page for Technaglass popped up on Facebook.  The reason this happened was a friend of mine, who I trust, had fanned it.  I went to the Facebook page and clicked on the link to their site.  This time it worked.  I requested an instant quote that proved to be close to what I expected to pay and scheduled an appointment online for the next day.

Fifteen minutes after I clicked to schedule they called to confirm and get my address.  Funny, their form didn’t ask for an address.  In the morning the installer called to tell me he was on the way and arrived when I expected.  Ten minutes after he got there, he knocked on my door to say he was done.  The price was what they said it was and I was very impressed with my experience.

Let’s analyze the marketing aspect of this transaction –

1.  This sale wouldn’t have been made with a website alone.

2.  The point of contact through social media added authority to the vendor because of my friend fanning the Technaglass page.

3.  Technaglass had the system in place to handle my transaction smoothly and professionally.  The follow up call was particularly nice especially since I knew I hadn’t given them the address.

4.  They did a good job with the installation and completed it much faster than I thought they would.

Social Media is not a fad and it will become more and more important for business.

Blogs, Facebook, Flickr, YouTube, Twitter, Sidewiki all have a place in business.  Twitter just announced a search deal with Bing that will place much more importance on both sites.  If you haven’t paid attention to either of these sites, now is the time to start.

Not everybody shops the way I do.  I know that.  Fifty percent of consumers will shop like me and another 25 percent will make a purchase based on the recommendation of someone they trust.  That’s why social media is important for business and Technaglass is a great example.