When was the last time you relied on instinct to pick a place to eat? Or bought some sort of electronic gadget because it looked cool? Or watched a movie just because you liked the trailer?
One used to have to seek out movie and music reviews, or ask your friends if they know a good mechanic. Of course, there were silver linings to those clouds, like, say, going outside now and again, and talking with your mouth to other people here and there.
Social Media has revolutionized the Service Industry. Everyone and their grandma has a smartphone locked and loaded, just waiting for someone to screw up. Or do something right.
Just a few years ago, there was a very small chance that people in the Czech Republic would have ever heard about 1,547 birds suddenly dropping from the Milwaukee sky. Now, someone gets a pube in their Egg McMuffin and I'm probably gonna hear about it whether I like it or not.
The good news is, I don't eat at McDonald's. And pubic hair is pretty much organic dental floss. The other good news is that there is an ever-increasing transparency in the Service Industry, as more and more people continue typing with their thumbs on tiny keyboards. (The bad news is that our thumbs are probably going to de-evolve.)
Never again will I take my car to a two- or even three-star mechanic, or eat at a restaurant with more than two $$'s on a Tuesday night. Now, instead of my stoned neighbor's opinion on all the [subtle] rage in indie music—or even a single professional music critic's opinion—I can get it from a bunch of (also stoned) Silver Lake residents.
What will ultimately happen is the one- and two-star companies will die. And though more will inevitably come, they won't last more than a few Yelp-lashings; leaving us with passionate, honest people that are truly competing for our business.
A word to the wise: if you're in any sort of business that involves interacting with, or providing any sort of service for, other human beings: step up. Because the wool is getting preeeetty thin.
The word of the day is service, and social media is putting it back in the Service Industry.
(Please rate this five stars.)
