Administrative Professional Today

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You may be using Twitter.com already. If not, it’s worth taking a second look. Why? Because savvy businesses are using the tool to do some of what you do already—smooth out the information flow between leadership and everyone else.

How Twitter can help on the job:

Put the word out. When a Stanley Cup broadcast suddenly went black in late April, according to USA Today, many Comcast subscribers simply scooted to Twitter to find out why. Comcast quickly posted “tweets” about the problem, which subscribers could easily find on Twitter.

Comcast isn’t the only company using Twitter to reach out to hundreds of people. PepsiCo, JetBlue Airways and Whole Foods Market all use Twitter as a customer service tool. Imagine how long it would have taken to contact all those Comcast subscribers by phone.

Resolve a problem quickly. Send a problem to a company’s Twitter account, and you’re likely to see the problem resolved quickly. Companies are listening to what customers say about them in real time. And they’re aware of the power your words can make in the online community.

Track down an answer without punching 1-800. Example: Know your boss wants to work during an American Airlines flight? Send a tweet to find out whether his flight has Wi-Fi. You’ll receive a reply from @AAirwaves.

Find out what internal or external customers think. Ask people to weigh in on a new product or service. PepsiCo used social media to ask customers to vote on one of three choices for a new Mountain Dew flavor.

Don’t think of Twitter as something for the trendy few. Instead, think of it as a free tool to help you quickly and cheaply respond to customers, answer questions and roll out tailored products and services.