He wrote a plan to improve service in his Greenville, S.C. facility that includes teaching dockworkers to use computers to communicate with customer service reps and keep them up-to-date on the status of freight.

FORBES: Companies, People, Ideas

One is the "host" meter, which will communicate with the customer and the supplier.

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Dozens of businesses notably use Twitter well to communicate with customers, but one big brand that has done an exemplary job of using social media as a customer service channel is Zappos.

FORBES: Why Businesses Should Use Social Media For Customer Service