Patagonia and Me

After reading the Twitterville articles about positive and negative experiences with companies, I immediately thought of my positive experience with Patagonia over the past week.

For the last months I had planned on buying another cold weather top for the school year, and last week I picked out a vest online from Patagonia. On Thursday I had no class, but a big exam to study for so I wanted to quickly run into the city to grab my vest. My only problem was that I didn't want to waste my time going there if they didn't have it in stock. I ventured to Twitter and found the Patagonia store Boston has an independent Twitter account that lists sales, new items, and store hours. I read their tweets about the week's hours, got their phone number and planned my trip so that I would arrive as they opened at 10 AM. Before I left my dorm room I called the store and found out they had my item in stock, and they even reserved it for me. All in all it took me one hour and fifteen minutes round trip from Walsh Hall to Patagonia, leaving me with plenty of time to spare.

I was so pleased with Patagonia not because they gave me a killer deal on my vest, but because they made my shopping experience so concise and quick. By using Twitter companies can alter and ease the traditional customer experience so that it suits the customer. I really appreciate Patagonia just being there. Surely I could have looked through their website for some in-store availability option, but nothing beats someone confirming it in person. My next step is to reach out to the Best Buy Twitter account to get suggestions on the best TV for a college house full of 12 guys.

I'd like to know if people find business with social media to be more appealing just because they are there and some what useful, or because they can occasionally provide a big deal?

Peace, love, and social media