Aside from learning how to use Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, etc more effectively, and the ethical requirements in WOMM, the single most important thing I learned in this class can best be explained in a story. This is a personal experience I just encountered in the last day, and to me perfectly sums up what this class was all about.
Several weeks ago I flew an airline I'd not flown before, and was blown away by the experience. The waiting area, mood lighting on the plane, comfy seats, personal entertainment system, and general service was far and above superior to other airlines I'd flown. In short, the experience was remarkable, and I told family and friends right away. I immediately became a fan after one trip. Last night I was booking a business trip for travel next week, and of course went to this new airline. Unfortunately their systems went down for the day, and I couldn't book until last night. Once I did book, the reservation disappeared, and I could not tell if I had a ticket or not. Panicking (because of the usual 7 day window), I called the service line, only to be kept on hold for 45 minutes, and then told by a rep that she couldn't tell me anything because the systems went down again. Frustrated that I wasted so much time, I took the their Facebook page and sarcastically thanked them for the experience. Here's where the lessons from the class kicked in.
I was amazed at the number of fans who leapt to the defense of the airline. After reading other comments and replies to my own post, I actually felt a little guilty for posting what I did. The fact that this company has made a product so unique and remarkable that their fans defend them even during periods of poor service speaks volumes to the power of word of mouth. A message from this class is "be remarkable and your customers will do your marketing for you." This experience absolutely hammered that point home for me.
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