Attention, holiday merchants! Your customers are tweeting---LOUDLY! Twitter traffic increased 256% on Black Friday and 202% on Cyber Monday. According to this article, the Tealeaf company which monitors twitter traffic and trends,  reports that 24% of twittering customers “cursed and complained” their way through the process of buying online.

Customer tweets show customers were frustrated by website errors, faulty coupon codes, and other common customer struggles.

With these issues plaguing their online experience, "retailers are unwittingly driving customers away resulting in more than $44 billion in lost revenue over the course of a year,” said Geoff Galat, vice president of Worldwide Marketing for Tealeaf.

What I want to know is: How many merchants are LISTENING intently to this active feedback---to respond, reach out, and resolve these issues their customers are putting out there?  With online shopping in full swing this season, and with customers' megaphones firmly implanted in their hands tweeting out their experiences, this season will show the difference between a company who just wants to sell stuff and one who wants to build relationships. (Previous Tealeaf research revealed that 51% of online shoppers said social media has influenced their online transactions.  And 74% of surveyed consumers said a negative online comment influences their likelihood to do business with a company.)

Has anyone out there tweeted about an experience and then heard back from a company to resolve their issue?  If you are a merchant, is "active listening" and responding to customer issues a skill and a practice you are putting to work?  It will show your true colors, and it will grow your business.