Facebook Wants Developers to Integrate Apps with Messenger

At this week’s F8 developer conference in San Francisco, Facebook announced that it is opening up its Messenger app with a platform for creating apps. This will allow developers to build apps that can integrate with the social network’s instant-messaging service, which presently touts 600 million users. Nearly 50 integrated apps have been created under the program, including those from Bad Robot, ESPN and The Weather Channel. The service also supports 360-degree video with Facebook’s Oculus VR format. Continue reading Facebook Wants Developers to Integrate Apps with Messenger

Facebook Messenger Will Roll Out Voice-to-Text Capabilities

Facebook will continue to improve its Messenger app this year. The standalone app already has more than 500 million monthly users, but the company is hoping to get to a billion users by the end of the year. One attractive new feature will be the voice-to-text transcription. A release date has yet to be announced, but the company is already testing it. Also, Facebook will experiment with ways to generate revenue and give people a way to communicate with businesses on the Messenger app. Continue reading Facebook Messenger Will Roll Out Voice-to-Text Capabilities

E-Commerce: Amazon’s Return Policy Jumps Ahead of the Pack

While Amazon may be best known for its fast delivery and massive product selection, the Seattle-based company has also devoted a great deal of effort to offering one of the best refund and return policies possible. In fact, Amazon currently leads all e-commerce retailers when it comes to cash back for items returned. Where some companies take days, even weeks to reimburse customers for returns, Amazon takes an average of 1.3 days, according to a new study by StellaService Inc.  Continue reading E-Commerce: Amazon’s Return Policy Jumps Ahead of the Pack

Hootsuite Takes Customer Service from Twitter to Phone Calls

Many consumers have found that the fastest way to get a response from a company is to send a tweet, but the 140-character length and the public nature of the social network limit the conversation. Hootsuite Media, the maker of the popular social media management app, is rolling out a solution: a feature that allows businesses to initiate calls with their customers via Twitter. Consumers who send the company tweets will get a reply with a phone number so that they can talk offline. Continue reading Hootsuite Takes Customer Service from Twitter to Phone Calls

Virgin Atlantic Turns to Wearable Tech for Enhanced Service

Virgin Atlantic Upper Class passengers became the first air travelers to benefit from wearable technology while flying into London Heathrow airport this week. Concierge staff has begun using Google Glass and the Sony Smartwatch to give a more personal customer service experience by greeting travelers by name and keeping them updated on their flight status. Down the line, wearable tech may even be used to track travelers’ food and beverage preferences. Continue reading Virgin Atlantic Turns to Wearable Tech for Enhanced Service

Vimeo PRO: Same Cost, More Storage and Unlimited HD Plays

Vimeo reintroduced its Vimeo PRO service this week, with several major upgrades including up to 1TB of storage and unlimited HD plays. The service is targeting professional film and video makers, offering new options at the same subscription rate it unveiled when the service was first introduced two years ago. Vimeo also announced its VIP customer service plan, FTP support and Vimeo On Demand feature for monetizing video content. Continue reading Vimeo PRO: Same Cost, More Storage and Unlimited HD Plays

Gifts Program: Facebook Replaces Physical Goods with Digital

Due to a lack of user demand, Facebook will shutter its physical gifting service that launched less than a year ago. Responding to higher customer preference, the company plans to shift its Gifts program entirely to gift cards and digital goods, since more than 80 percent of gifts sent on Facebook have been digital. The move is also likely due to the complicated delivery operation involving physical goods, including inventory tracking, fulfillment and customer service. Continue reading Gifts Program: Facebook Replaces Physical Goods with Digital

Marvel Superheroes to Appear On Tour and Disney Cruise Ship

Hero Ventures will produce “The Marvel Experience,” a $30 million attraction featuring Marvel superheroes that plans to go on tour beginning next year. The first person superhero experience will include a 4D motion ride, 3D animation, motion comics, virtual reality and holographic simulations. In related news, Disney recently announced that it will also feature a number of Marvel’s superheroes aboard its Disney Magic cruise ship as part of its Oceaneer Club for kids. Continue reading Marvel Superheroes to Appear On Tour and Disney Cruise Ship

Social Media Becoming a Popular Mechanism for Brand Feedback

  • According to two separate studies by ROI Research and MarketTools, consumers are increasingly embracing social networks as a tool to communicate directly with brands.
  • In addition to comparing prices and discussing sales and specials with friends online, 53 percent say they have provided feedback to the companies they support.
  • Additionally, 47 percent say they have used the channels to register complaints.
  • The studies suggest there is room for growth in regards to brands responding to feedback via social networks. “Listening and responding to complaints on social media also offers brands a chance to connect with customers in an additional channel, and to potentially increase customer satisfaction.”