Bank Of America Demonstrates How Not To Conduct Customer Service On Twitter

By Allison Stadd on July 9, 2013 5:00 PM

http://www.mediabistro.com/alltwitter/bank-of-america-twitter_b46078

In an embarrassing episode picked up by Gizmodo, Bank of America’s customer service Twitter account @BofA_Help made a downright fool of itself – demonstrating exactly how not to conduct customer relations on Twitter.

What Gizmodo calls a “hilariously epic mistake”on Bank of America’s part started off with this tweet from @darthmarkh:

[...]

The tweet referenced the @bankofamerica Twitter handle, but had nothing to do with anyone’s bank account. Rather, the context was a protest against Bank of America foreclosures.

Nonetheless, the BofA Help Twitter account, obviously attuned to a Twitter search for references of the bank, replied with the following tweet:

[...]

Then, when other tweeters chimed in to reply to the original tweet, @BofA_Help continued its automated “customer service,” inquiring if it could be of service when really the topic at hand had nothing to do with balance transfers, deposit slips, and the like.

Lesson for the Bank of America social media crew: you need to fine-tune your help account to filter out tweets like these so you don’t come across as lifeless and ignorant. The lack of human oversight on the bank’s part here is stunning – and should be a word to the wise!

You can read the full exchange on Twitter here.