As marketers, we spend a lot of time talking about what obligations businesses have in social media. Be present. Be honest. Be transparent. Be consistent.

We talk about the great opportunities there are for customer service through social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. When someone complains, respond to it. It’s great because other people can see you responding to it, and—as long as you do it properly—that can be further marketing for your brand. And free!

But we’re not just marketers. We’re also all consumers. And I want to talk about our obligation as customers in social media. We have power now. When we complain on Twitter or Facebook, we not only send a message to the company, but we send it to all of our followers. This can get us a quicker response than through private routes, such as a customer service line. It holds more weight because others can see what the company is or is not doing to appease our dissatisfaction.

But what about the other side of things?

How often do you tweet when a company has done right by you? How often do you post about a customer service win? I think this is an important duty of the customer as well. Let’s think about this: What’s the best way to get someone to do a good job? Positive reinforcement.

You’re more likely to care about your job and go above and beyond if you feel like you’re appreciated for your hard work. If you’re just trying to not get in trouble, you’re going to do the bare minimum that gets you that result.

(Sorry for the ad. I couldn’t find this clip without one.)

I believe it is the same with business. The more we celebrate customer service wins of businesses we interact with, the more that will become the trend. Less damage control, more trying to impress the customer. Social media is the perfect place for this.

Today’s post comes with a challenge. The next three times you’re impressed with a company you encounter—the next time you experience a customer service win—tweet about it. Post a Facebook update. Let people know, including the business who impressed you, publically. I think we can start something good.