Lots of companies are scrambling to see how they can use Twitter to promote their products and services. But a few good tweets can also provide great customer service. Glenn Ross, in a post at All Business, recently looked at the spectrum of possibilities. He offered a few ways that Twitter can help you better serve your customers. Among them:

Send out tips on maintaining your products. "Your years of experience can help you gain credibility on Twitter as a leader in your profession," Ross notes. Examples:

• A jeweler can tweet a few tips on cleaning and maintaining that wedding ring. "How often should you have the prongs checked?" he asks.
• A dry cleaner can tweet advice about attacking a stain before you bring a garment in to be cleaned. Or he could talk about treating stains on a variety of fabrics, one tweet and one fabric at a time, Ross suggests.

Announce new arrivals of inventory. These tweets can be particularly effective when targeted to customers who have registered their product preferences.

"Twitter isn't the sole solution to surviving the recession," Ross concludes, "but it can be one of the many strategies you employ to reach new and current customers."

The Po!nt: Reach out and tweet someone. "If you make a list of 10 or 20 tips, you can send one out each day," Ross says. What a great, free way to provide active customer service during the downturn.

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