Social Media War: Amul vs Angry Consumer

Usually on social media, the conversation between a brand and its customer is a predictable one: a customer complains about a certain product or service and the brand responds with an apology. In some cases it even offers compensation. But the story of Amul and a certain customer is a new one that shows how social media can be a double-edged sword. Amul, the dairy giant, with its 1.2 million Facebook fans and about 27,700 twitter followers has always been fairly active on social media. So when a distraught customer came knocking, they answered.Neha Tomar, a resident of Gurgaon purchased a packet of 'Amul Gold' milk which on heating turned into an awful looking stretchy dough. To share this bizarre experience, she took to Facebook and published the following post:
It didn't seem like a conscious strategy to go viral, but it did. The post got over 99,000 shares and 10,000 likes. To investigate the matter, Amul sent a team to the customer's house. Then something strange happened. Amul published a long statement to clarify their side of the story, only that the story seemed to be suggest that the user may have been out to get them.
Amul also posted a video explaining the same. Neha didn't take these accusations lying down.In a social media climate, companies have very little control over what people think of their brand. But like in the case of Amul, 'responsiveness' and 'transparency' are key. They can make or break your brand and also re-define how brands should be using social media.  Top photo source: Amul's Facebook page