If you tweet a problem or complaint about your Sprint mobile service or device, you’re likely to hear back pretty quickly from a Sprint Ninja, an employee volunteer who will work to resolve your issue. While some Ninjas engage in this kind of customer support, others are brand evangelists. They all undergo training, and the effort has resulted in a measurably improved reputation for Sprint.

In this FIR Interview, FIR co-host Shel Holtz speaks with Sara Folkerts, who works in internal social media at Sprint and is heavily involved in the Ninja program. She discusses the origins of the Ninjas, what they do, how they’re trained, the results it has achieved, and where the program is heading.

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About our Conversation Partner

Sara Miller Folkerts is passionate about sharing, communicating, transparency and being open-minded. This has led her to her current job as a community manager and social media evangelist at Sprint. In addition to her role as community manager, Sara leads the Ninjas program at Sprint. The Sprint Social Media Ninjas is a group of empowered employees who want to connect with customers and spread the “gospel” of Sprint in social media.

Sara has presented on internal social media strategies at several conferences and at other companies. Where can you find her? On Twitter, of course! @saramiller.

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This FIR Interview is brought to you with Lawrence Ragan Communications, serving communicators worldwide for 35 years. Information: www.ragan.com.

Podsafe music – On A Podcast Instrumental Mix (MP3, 5Mb) by Cruisebox.

(Cross-posted from For Immediate Release, Shel’s and my podcast blog.)