DEKALB, Ill. -- Should business organizations encourage their employees to interact with their customers’ on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn? A research team from Northern Illinois University and the University of Central Florida Purpose explored this question. The team found that social commonalities between employees and their customers, including social media relationships, often result in customers believing that they are entitled to financial discounts from employees simply because they are linked via social media.

Lead researcher, Mark Rosenbaum, Kohl’s Corporation Professor of Retail Marketing explains this finding by stating, “When customers and employees are linked together on social media sites, customers interpret these linkages as having a financial benefit, as opposed to traditional friendships benefits, such as companionship. In other words, customers view social media linkages with employees as commercial friendships that offer them relational benefits, typically financial discounts.”

The findings reveal that customer-employee relationships dramatically change with social media linkages, as customers believe that social relationships propel them to “best customer status” and that they are entitled to discounts. Further, the researchers found that social media linkages may cause customers to adhere to narcissism. That is, many customers may expect discounts even when they know that employees may jeopardize their jobs by providing them.

“Overall, the findings highlight a dark side to customer-employee social media relationships and bring into question whether employees should even attempt to be friends with customers outside of an organizationally controlled venue,” states Rosenbaum.

The study was published in the International Journal of Retail and Distribution Management.