Yes, Jeff is indeed the lovely guy who actually reached out to me on Twitter to offer to help. And it is him who saved my sanity.

I sent him a DM with my post yesterday and I guess he was passing it up the chain at Adobe.

The only reason I didn’t personally name him in my post is I didn’t want everyone with an Adobe problem to run to him right away but when I came to your post I thought maybe I should have done it differently!

I had two techs even apologize to me that the reason they didn’t understand me is because English is not their first language. While I don’t berate companies who chose to outsource overseas (though I would prefer they not) I do wish they would hire agents who have a clear grasp and understanding of the English language.

Cheers, again, to my new buddy Jeff!

And Jack – who are you on Twitter?

Because of Jeff, my overall brand experience has resulted in a win for Adobe. Dealing with call centre issues and paid vs. non-paid support can cause major damage to customer loyalty and brand perception. Why would I continue to buy legitimate software from Adobe if this is the type of post-purchase follow-up support that is to be expected. I’d rather spend the few hours downloading a cracked version, rather than be incensed by call centre operators unwilling to understand MY issue and venture outside the script.

Jeff stepped in just as my issue was resolved. It doesn’t really matter that he himself didn’t actually fix my problem. The fact that he stepped up and asked if I needed any help was really all that was required to change my opinion. Here was someone who could help me and be my advocate from within a faceless corporation. He actually cared and that makes a customer feel like money was spent wisely.

I have no doubt that more corporations, those of which that can afford to, will allocate the resources to actively participate in the social media realm. Not because its a new shiny toy, but because they can capitalize on the opportunities it affords them – specifically, a chance to create a positive brand experience and conversation with their customers.

Jeff, thanks again for your help. You are an asset.

He’s proving that Twitter will eventually become the first line of support, not the last.

And Jeff, thanks! Adobe needs to give you a bonus.

I like your observation about support issues reaching twitter AFTER they have failed in other channels. I think this is true in a lot of cases. And the people that are listening, as Adobe did, can really help change the course of a customer experience (your story is case in point)

I also see a lot of customer service issues going to twitter that might have never made it to traditional channels. We’re all busy and traditional channels are often time consuming and frustrating. Typing 140 characters is infinitely easier. With such a lower barrier, I see a lot of people tweet issues that in the past would have never taken the time to pursue a traditional channel.