Perhaps you thought Facebook was just for reuniting with your high school friends, and Twitter was for social-media mavens. But both online services can be a good source of deals and discounts from businesses large and small.
Firms as varied as Sears and RA Sushi have Facebook pages on which they offer specials to their “fans” or share information about sales and events. Downtown Coral Gables/Miracle Mile post new deals on its page nearly every day.
Merchants use Twitter to entice customers, too. The airlines regularly “tweet” airfare sales. And on Wednesday, Peterbrooke Chocolatier in Coral Gables was reminding followers about its weekly 99-cent gelato special.
Airing your customer-service complaints on Twitter can be effective, too. I was promised a $30 monthly discount on my cable bill for six months when I tweeted that I was unhappy with ATT’s DSL service and thinking of switching to cable. Sears repaired a defective stove handle for free when I tweeted my discontent with my 3-year-old Kenmore range.
On the other hand, someone from Wachovia corporate headquarters responded when I tweeted about errors in my account, but the bank has been unable to resolve the problem.
If there are businesses you patronize often, it can be worth your while to “fan” them on Facebook or follow them on Twitter. For a business you might patronize only occasionally, you can just do an Internet search for Facebook and the business name to check for deals.
Personally, I recommend the 99-cent gelato.
