Here’s a great story from the annals of customer service.  My friend Fady Hadid is a young Iraqi filmmaker with whom I worked on Hometown Baghdad.  After working on that documentary in Baghdad, he came to the US to study film.  At the same time, many of his friends were scattering around the world as they rushed to escape the civil war in Iraq.  He found himself desperately needing a way to stay in touch with his friends and to find old ones who left without providing a way to stay in touch.  So he did what everyone does when they want to find someone who they’ve lost touch with: he turned to Facebook.  But alas, there was no network for the University of Baghdad.  So Fady went on a mission to get one added. Here is the email chain between Fady and Facebook customer service.

From: Facebook Support
Date: Fri, Jul 4, 2008 at 11:44 AM
To: Fady

Hi,

The Facebook Team has received your inquiry. We should get back to you soon. In the meantime, we encourage you to review our Help page (http://www.facebook.com/help.php).  There, you’ll find answers to many common questions.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

The Facebook Team

———-
From: Facebook Support
Date: Fri, Jul 4, 2008 at 11:21 PM
To: Fady


Hi,

We can look into this, but for security reasons we need you to respond to this email from your school email address.  Also, please write your email address in the subject line and include all of our previous correspondence so that we can refer to your original inquiry.

Thanks for contacting Facebook,

XXXX
User Operations
Facebook
———-
From: Fady
Date: Mon, Jul 14, 2008 at 4:57 PM
To: Facebook Support


Hi XXXX,

Unfortunately we don’t really have email account for University of Baghdad (or Baghdad University for that matter) because we never had such infrastructure, but I wrote an email just because it was needed. I wished if there was a network for our university’s students and alumni anyway, because I am sure we are so many on Facebook. And sorry for the inconvenience.

Best,
Fady

———-
From: Facebook Support
Date: Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 5:40 PM
To: Fady


Hi Fady,

We’re hoping to add your school.  In order to do so, we’ll need you to reply to this email with the information below.  Please be aware that we only support schools that are still in existence and that we do not support elementary, middle, or junior high schools.

1) Does your school supply email addresses to students?  Please respond “Yes” or “No.”  If yes, you must respond to this email from your school email address in order for us to add your school.

2) Please tell us your:

Full Name of your School
City
State/Country
School’s website
To:XXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Subject: Re: I Can’t Add a College Network

———-
From: Fady
Date: Wed, Jul 16, 2008 at 5:49 PM
To: Facebook Support

Hi XXX,

Thank you so much for your quick response. Yes it is a university and it still exists. It is actually the biggest and the most major university in Iraq. Unfortunately it doesn’t have an electronic infrastructure so it doesn’t provide emails and there’s no official website (that I know of). Here are my answers:

1. No.

2. University of Baghdad
Baghdad
Iraq
www.uob.edu.iq (I’m not sure if this is the official site - it’s still under construction too)

Thank you so much and keep up the great work!

Best,
Fady
———-
From: Facebook Support
Date: Thu, Jul 17, 2008 at 3:46 PM
To: Fady


Hi Fady,

I have made note of your request.  We hope to add it as part of our next network expansion.  Sorry in advance for any delay. Let me know if you have any further questions.

Next thing Fady knew, there was a network for the University.  Despite the facts that there was no functioning website for the school, there were no school email addresses and Facebook was probably unable to contact the University to confirm what Fady told them. Only 385 students have joined the network so far but he is confident that more will eventually find it.  I don’t want to overestimate the importance of having a network for your college, but it certainly sends a warm, inclusive message to these Iraqi students.  They belong here as much as Mark’s Harvard buddies.

Note: I have obviously removed some names and email address from this exchange.