Businesses don't cut corners with Foursquare

Since the recent launch of Foursquare, I admit that I've been unsure of just how useful it is. Sites such as the audacious Please Rob Me definitely definitely didn't help convince me of its merits. This Mashable article, however, offers a great look at the innovative ways businesses are starting to use Foursquare. A few notable examples from the article:

• The Wynn Las Vegas hotel, which provides luxury bonuses with check-ins as well as interesting trivia about the hotel
• Lucky Magazine, whose Fashion Week tie-ins provide information on where to grab a cup of coffee (among other things) and will eventually expand to include recommendations from editors
• Starbucks, which provides a Barista badge that will eventually evolve into a customer rewards program

The interesting thing about all these examples is the fact these business are using Foursquare to enhance and provide real-life benefits to customers. Much has been made of how social media and technology are infiltrating our lives. Rather than being a distraction, in this case it's being creatively used to enrich and complement, rather than intrude on a customer's experience. Just like how Facebook has evolved into a valuable business tool, it will be interesting to see how businesses continue to innovate and improve their customer service with Foursquare. Looks like it may be worth it it after all to try to become the mayor of Fabricland.