• Form letters can be problematic, particularly in public venues when communities can follow both sides of a conversation.
• Missed opportunities to address concerns in a caring way over social media can result in more than one lost customer.
• Small companies especially should understand that the friendlier, more personal alternative they offer is part of what customers expect from them.

Brogan's story about why he left his credit union after 20 years provides an excellent illustration of how a complaint can be mismanaged on Facebook. Instead of providing feedback that demonstrated understanding or action, his credit union instead issued a form reply that clearly missed the point of his original email. Read more about the situation and Brogan's advice on his blog.