How much does Facebook really help companies?

[Minou]

So many companies now have a facebook presence with customer service/marketing people responding regularly to comments. So many of the comments are complaints/whining that I wonder how helpful the use of facebook is to the image of the company.

Is it really in their best interests to enable people to post to their wall?

[Shwa Girl]

Facebook and Google scare me a bit.
Too much power.
We only use Facebook for coupons.

We have told friends we will talk on the phone, e-mail or do the old fashioned visit.
Hmmm. E-mail is interesting too. Does Google or Hotmail own my e-mails or do I?
Paranoid much?

[maliha44]

I cant speak for every company, but it does seem to be helping big brands. Every time they post a status update, they get more interested customers. They do quite a bit of advertising on there. But I guess it does cost money to hire people to look after their facebook page, post updates, and design campaigns. It must be working though, as they're still going strong.

[leda]

I think it has its pros and cons. It gets them more attention, which usually means more customers. It is also nice to be able to contact a company through the ease of facebook and often get a fast response instead of waiting days via e-mail. But yes, I agree, there is a lot of whining. People who 'boycott' the company because they didn't get the coupon/contest/giveaway, etc. Some people expect everything. As if these companies owe it to us to make sure each and every one of their thousands of fans on their page gets a free product.
I do think Facebook makes it easier for companies to give back to their customers. No, they don't owe us anything. However, a good company knows they should 'thank' their customers and give back. Which keeps their customers coming back and also gets them new ones.
I liked Maple Leaf and Kellogg's already, but now, thanks to their coupons and giveaways....I put them at the top of the list for companies who actually care about their customers.