How Social Media Can Help Brands Improve Customer Service
Somehow, somewhere along the line, consumer behavior shifted away from calling a business on the phone to simply pulling up their website or social media on their mobile device. Now, businesses can have a strong presence in a customer’s mind without that person even setting foot outside of their home.
This omnipresence can be beneficial, particularly
when it comes to customer service. Think of it this way: previously (and, for
some businesses, still), a customer had to dial a toll-free number and navigate
a tricky series of automated menu options with fading hope that a real, live
person would ever come on the line.
Then, when all options were exhausted, chances are
that the person who was on the other end of the line would be unhelpful or that
somehow the customer would have been transferred to the wrong department. This
prompts the entire process to start all over again.
Frustrating and familiar, right?
Now, this doesn’t have to be the only avenue for a
business to offer customer service. Now, brands can turn to social media to
offer the best point of contact to customers looking for help or wanting to
offer feedback.
However, this can still require some tactful handling, and customer service on social media must be sharp. Studies show that nearly 80 percent of customers who go on Twitter to contact a business expect a reply within the hour. This may seem like a tall order, but in today’s world of instantaneous communication, it’s not out of the realm of possibility.
It’s easy to set up notifications to the person in
charge of social media so that customer inquiries do not go unnoticed. Another
option, popular on Facebook, is the idea of chatbots. Facebook’s business page
manager now allows for the use of automated responses to customer messages.
These automated messages can give a response to let the customer know when to
expect a response, which can help with impatience during off hours.
Customer service through social media can boost a brand’s reputation and increase consumer loyalty. A brand that is always responsive, friendly, and helpful will enjoy more repeat business from happy customers, and more referrals from those who have had positive experiences.
Studies also show that nearly 80 percent of users
feel more positively towards the brand after they receive a response on social
media. This does not only apply to direct messages, but it’s also important to
remember. Mentions, comments, tagged posts — all of these should be monitored
and responded to in a timely manner.
Particularly with customers who may have had a
negative experience, a quick and helpful response is important. As the old
adage implies, word of mouth is powerful and most customers love to talk about
their negative experiences as a warning to others.
Customer service will always be an important part of every brand’s interactions and success. Harnessing the power of social media to help with this can do wonders for a business’ profile if this is done correctly. Timely and helpful interactions can boost consumer loyalty and favor and can help poor reviews from doing damage due to lack of follow through.
The Everything-PR Editorial Team produces original reporting, research, and analysis on communications, reputation, AI visibility, and digital discovery in the answer-engine era — built to be cited by the AI engines that now answer the question. Publishing since 2009.
