Twitter is developing as a platform for customer relations. It is an incredibly efficient and cost effective means to communicate with customers.

In the last 48 hours I’ve polled internet retailers to find out whether they have contingency plans in place for the national postal strike.

I asked a dozen brands using Twitter IDs sourced directly or via e-consultancy: @amazon; @CDWOWUK; @espares; @figleaveshome; @firebox; @grazedotcom; @Hotel_Chocolat; @lovefilm; @maplintweet; @overheardatmoo; @playcom; and @waterstonesltd.

I’ve had four responses from @espares, @figleaveshome, @firebox and @lovefilm. @mat_henton from espares deserves special praise. He responded within minutes.

It’s hardly exhaustive or scientific survey (a bit like real life) but it shows that a handful of internet retailers are making extraordinary efforts to use Twitter as a channel and tackle the impending postal strike.

Equally others are using Twitter as a broadcast channel or have work to do to put contingency plans in place for the postal strike.