In article <!&!AAAAAAAAAAAuAAAAAAAAAKTyXRN5/+lGvU59a+P7CFMBAN6gY+ZG84BMpVQcAbDh1IQAA AATbSgAABAAAAAuldg0EWkrSZ9BD0db8+e2AQAAAAA=@iname.com>, Frank Bulk <frnkblk@iname.com> writes
When the local power companies uses twitter, then maybe I'll consider using twitter for our customers.
That's a poor example as far as the UK's concerned. You can't get information from the power company for days if you are a domestic customer.
There's the temptation by some of companies to leverage the latest technology to appear "cool" and "in tune" with customers, but by far and large, when something goes down customers either do no nothing, wait, or call in. I think the best use of everyone's time is to make sure their call center/support desk has the capability to post an announcement to those that call in.
It's a High School. They don't have a "support desk" (or more than handful of phone lines [1]). Even the local radio station can't cope with one call per school asking them to broadcast the news that they have closed due to bad weather.
And then make sure something gets posted to the website.
Unfortunately, the number of students polling the website for news means it can't cope with the traffic. I don't believe they can justify paying more for better web hosting, just to manage this once-a-year half hour event. -- Roland Perry