Customer service via social media is quickly becoming the norm. The old call center model is fading as disgruntled customers are heading to their PC or mobile device to complain publicly on their Facebook or Twitter pages. Whether it’s just a simple “My burger sucked” or a more severe “Just got food poisoning from…” your customers are out there talking. When and how you respond is what makes the difference in the eyes of the consumer and their extended networks.
The shift from a closed customer resolution model to a more public “we care” approach can be scary for some but it doesn’t have to be. Here are a few tips to help get you started on the path to a much improved and cost-effective online customer service model:
- Start Slow – By now, there’s a good chance you already have a Facebook page and Twitter account setup for your company (if not, it may be time to pick up this book). So you should by begin using the current resources you have and reply to those who have directly contacted your company with issues or problems. The main goal is to get your feet wet and find your voice. You don’t need to respond to everyone at once, just try a few responses and see how the customers respond.
- Embrace Transparency – This is often one of the most overlooked elements of customer service in social media. Think about it, when you call a customer service line don’t you expect to be greeted with a pleasant voice that also happens to be human and have a name? Why should you do it another way in social media? It’s fine to have a company name so you can easily be found, but let customers know who is managing the account. It’s a much better experience to speak with a person than a mysterious Twitter account.
- Not Everything Deserves a Response – Sometimes it’s best to ignore certain comments. Some people may simply be stating their opinion “The food at X taste like ****” and there’s nothing to be said to help the situation. Don’t get into the habit of ignoring legitimate claims, but knowing when to leave it alone and not respond is important.
- Don’t Use Templates – Since your responses will be public for the most part, using template responses can make you look really bad. When someone takes the time to issue a complaint, they want an authentic response. If your twitter feed shows the same responses dozens of times, customers will take their complaints elsewhere. Remember to never forget the human touch.
- Listen – It’s a good idea to take a step back and see what customers are saying on the entire web. You’d be surprised how much chatter there is that’s not directed towards you. Maybe they don’t know that you’re doing customer service on the web or may not have wanted to take the time to reach out to you directly, but they are still talking about you. If there’s something you can easily fix, don’t be afraid to reach out. After all it is a public forum, and if someone is upset their gift card expired or their bill was wrong, you can easily fix that problem and possibly earn a customer for life.
The value from listening and engaging your customers in social media goes far beyond simple customer service. Yes you are able to serve your customers and much cheaper than with a call center, but by listening to your customers on a larger scale you can really begin to see what they do and don’t like and possibly where your products or services are falling short. Customer service is the immediate goal, but valuable market research is also present if you know what to do with it.
Have you recently started engaging customers online? Share your story in the comments.
