I woke up in the middle of the night, so I decided to check my phone for any notifications. As expected I had a few work emails and some Twitter notifications. I know that both can wait, but me being who I am, I like to respond as soon as I can. Now will a customer on the east coast check my response in the middle of the night? probably not. However, it is one less thing I have to do when I actually “wake up”. I guess this is what product launches and startup customer support is all about.
The funny thing is that while the feedback we have been getting has pointed out issues that some might consider major, the emails have always ending on a positive note. To have actual customers providing constructive feedback is great. Whether they know it or not, they are a part of our product development. I don’t mind responding to customer emails, the constructive ones at least.
Twitter has also helped, with @mentions, leading to DM’s, and other short forms of assistance. So far, the customers have been helping us, so I really don’t mind helping them out, even if it means responding in the middle of the night, and being connected all day. After all, being connected is what social media marketing, and startup life is all about.
Vivek Ratkalkar 