Meijer has a lot of fans in the United States, but how does the company manage to keep hold of its customers’ loyalty via social?
A quick Google search reveals generally positive reviews for the supermarket chain, Meijer. Most locations boast a 3.5 or 4-star rating, with reviewers enthusiastically praising its variety, prices, cleanliness, and customer service. Its Facebook page shows a similar enthusiasm. Fans of the company frequently like and comment on its posts. Despite this, both pages lack a key ingredient for success – conscientious responses.
Although Meijers thrives in stores, it does not bring this customer consideration into its online space. On Yelp, it fails to respond to the negative comments while on Facebook, it answers questions but neglects to reply to positive feedback. In fact, Frank Guglielmi, Senior Director of Communications, even declined to publicly comment on its business strategies when approached for an interview.
It Excels on Pinterest and Instagram
Despite these issues, Meijer shines on social media. Check out its Pinterest and Instagram. Here, it appeals to its most obvious target demographic – the person that buys groceries. It goes after the decorator, the entertainer, and the house chef through a colorful board filled with recipes, craft ideas, decorating tips, and more. On Instagram and Pinterest, most of the products online can be found in stores, these sites brand the company as an approachable, family-friendly brand and help it score profits.
Its Facebook and Yelp Falls Short
Its Facebook provides an effective space to answer customer questions but fails to go the extra mile. While there are few complaints here, the occasional question about a promotion or coupon shows up. Meijer diligently and clearly responds to each problem. In doing so, it labels itself as a reliable source for up-to-date information.This creates a positive rapport with its customers, which leads to more in-store visits and higher profits. Still, it could go a step further by responding to positive comments as well as negative ones. This would further engage its fans, leading to more Facebook likes and shares, and increased brand awareness.
In fact, it could take some cues from Meijer’s Twitter – its best medium for customer engagement. Here, it follows customers often, responds to its tweets, and works to rectify complaints. It’s a friendly but helpful atmosphere with a strong voice and incredible branding powers.
Hello, old friend. We have missed you. pic.twitter.com/i9g2OZ7twQ
— Meijer (@meijer) April 8, 2014
But its strategy on Yelp also falls short. Here, it’s all about response, or lack thereof. While it describes itself on Facebook as a “Midwestern family-owned superstore” and claims to serve “big smiles since 1934”, these values do not come through online. While it enjoys largely positive reviews for most of its locations, like Facebook, it lacks communication between its customers. On Yelp pages for stores with 3-star ratings or less, Meijer still remains silent. In doing so, it misses out on opportunities to placate irate customers. For stores that enjoy higher ratings, both complaints and praise go unanswered too.
Whether Yelp reviews seem positive or negative, we recommend posting a response. This creates a favorable dialogue between you and your clients, which will help you retain a steady customer base. They’ll see you as a reliable, friendly company, which keeps them coming back for more. Moreover, reviews act as an opportunity for growth. Read both good and bad posts and pinpoint your troublespots. Once you do, you can work to rectify them, giving your customers a better experience.
Social is Preventative, Not Reactionary
Since Meijer is a large chain, it may be hard to maintain oversight over all of its chains and its associated Yelp pages. Still, it can instill a sense of propriety within the chains themselves. That means that executives should ask store managers to keep a close eye on what’s brewing online. In case anything goes south, someone can step in and put out the fires. It can also step up its Facebook game by working on a dialogue and responding to comments. But it’s even more important to remember that social media is preventative not reactionary. The more you reply to reviews – both good and bad – the better your customer relationships will be.