The Holiday season is a time to reflect on the past year
with those closest to us who can help point out our mistakes and our triumphs. Hopefully we move into the New Year a little
wiser so that we do not make the same mistakes and also a little braver so that
we still charge ahead when the future is unknown.
At the beginning of 2008, I was offered the opportunity to
become Best Buy's first Community Manager and help usher the company into the
Web 2.0 world. There was no certainty
that this would be a successful endeavor or a permanent position. Best Buy didn't have a forum or blog. The company had never Twittered and most
people thought that was a risqué term.
When I was presented with the opportunity to jump into the uncertainty,
I did so wholeheartedly. That is, I took
the path less trodden by.
I launched a blog, began Twittering and helped the company
move toward having a community forum.
There were many internal partnerships that needed to be built, and
policies needed to be updated to be relevant in a Web 2.0 world. I rolled up my sleeves and dug in. As I moved, I made sure to build a path for
both English language and Spanish language conversations to start taking place
online. Today, both languages must work
in tandem for Best Buy to serve its diverse customers.
Achieving the launch of this community forum was the largest
hill to climb. I recall having a
conference with a senior director who looked me in the eye and said it wouldn't
happen this year. Doggedly, I
continued. One of Best Buy directors had
been trying to get the company to launch a forum for years. He was instrumental to this forum
existence. Finally, on September 18,
2008 the community forum launched.
My team and I manage and moderate this forum. My team of eleven is, in my opinion,
comprised of some of the company's best employees. They are dedicated to championing customers,
tirelessly researching questions and striving to create an online community
experience for customers.
This forum is not for Best Buy. It is for our customers. We launched it to connect customers with
Blueshirts, Geek Squad Agents and each other.
This forum provides a platform for us all to dialogue in an open and
honest manner. While I know not all
users of this forum may believe that, I do and so does my team.
That's why I get up every morning and go to work so that I
can help foster meaningful communication in an ever-evolving, tech-filled,
complicated, and confusing world. We all
need assistance from time to time with life and technology. This forum and our other online community
engagements are to help all of us adapt to an e-powered world,one that is
turned on and tuned in 24/7. To some,
the new e-world is a realm full of techno-stress and frustration. If you are ever struggling trying to figure
out how to make it all work together, that's what we are here for. To help and assist to the best of our
abilities. So let's keep the dialogue
going in 2009. Devices are only going to
get smaller and more feature-packed, which translates into complication. We're here.
We hear you. Let the conversation
continue.