August 22, 2013
Where would you ask a question or make a complaint about a brand? Via letter, phone call, email or social media?
Customer service has rapidly progressed. Where once we would write a letter, walk it to the post office and expect a response within around 2 weeks, we now send a 140 character tweet to the company and expect an almost instant reply!
Social media is now a much more reliable medium for customers to get a response. A recent survey revealed that 80% of customers received a reply to their complaint on social media, compared to only 37% who complained via email.
What should your business do?
Some companies may think this shift doesn’t involve them. However, with 31% of Brits saying they would make a complaint about a brand via social media, whether you have a social media presence or not, you need to know what people are saying about you! Customers will talk about you whether you are there or not and each interaction you have with a customer is a way to learn and provide a better product/service! It has also been reported that £12 billion a year is being lost through poor customer service, so even more reason to get it right!
Top tips for good customer service on social media:
- Listen to what’s being said – make sure you know about people who are talking about you
- Respond quickly – customers expect a fast response. Make sure you respond as soon as possible. If you need to investigate further, reply first to say you are looking into it and will come back shortly with an answer
- Take it offline – if a conversation is getting out of hand, ask for an email address so you can reply to them more personally
- Be personal – don’t just post a generic message. It takes no time at all to include the customer’s name and tailor the response to them
- For some more useful tips, click here
Companies getting it right:
There are a number of companies who are getting it right on social media for customer service. Here are just a few examples:
@Memo_Cabrera We went ahead and made an adjustment to your account. How do things look on your end?
— Nike Support (@NikeSupport) August 22, 2013
@IK81 We can sort it all out! Give us a call at 800-JETBLUE option 2 at your leisure.
— JetBlue Airways (@JetBlue) August 22, 2013
@SuskiKabir Do you have a barcode for the item? I’ve checked and it’s no longer available on our website online, sorry 🙁
— Tesco Customer Care (@UKTesco) August 22, 2013
For some more examples, click here.
Do you have any questions about customer service on social media or do you know a company that does it well? Leave a comment below to let us know!
© Jarry1250, “Speech bubbles” graphic, Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported