Why You Should Never Use a Company’s DMs for Urgent Issues

Picture this: you need help from a company immediately, so you want to choose the quickest form of communication. Maybe your heat went out in the dead of winter, and you need your HVAC company’s help ASAP. Maybe you’re wondering if your favorite store that’s a bit of a drive away has the product you need in stock before you get in the car today.

A quick DM to them would be the fastest way to get an answer, right?
It may not!

In fact, if you have a truly time-sensitive issue, as a social media manager, I never recommend going the DM route. Here’s why: most companies’ DMs are being managed by a social media manager (like me) – NOT the main decision-makers and problem-solvers at a company. A lot of those types of roles never even look at social media accounts. 

That means, when you DM your local plumbing company that your pipes burst and you need immediate assistance, the social media manager is the one who sees it. He or she has little power to solve your issue. Now, any good social media manager like myself will do their best to promptly triage your request and reach out to someone at the company who can help you. But this costs you time.

We may not be able to reach someone right away, or we may have to try multiple people before we find the right person. Whereas, if you’d made a phone call to the company instead, you most likely would’ve been immediately connected to someone who can help.

I get it – nobody really likes phone calls nowadays. But if you have something you truly need assistance with right away, it’s the best way to ensure you get it. However, if your question or concern can be easily addressed by a social media manager, or if you can wait up to 24 hours for a response, please feel free to send a message. Social media managers are happy to help when they can!