Use Social Media To Tackle Customer Service

Did you know nearly half of all U.S. consumers use social media to ask questions, report satisfaction or to simply voice a complaint about a service or company? In fact, according to Nielsen reports, one third of social media users find “social care” more convenient than calling a company on the phone.

As you can see, social media goes beyond creating brand awareness and recognition. It provides companies with an opportunity to connect with current and potential customers, provide excellent customer service, and hopefully build lasting relationships with them in the process.

Here are a few tips to tackle customer service from a social media standpoint:

• Always respond — even when a user hasn’t directly tweeted or commented at your business or asked for help. Answering brand mentions or comments that don’t require a response, but might benefit from one, shows you’re paying attention and it makes a client feel heard.
• Time is of the essence. More than half of consumers on Facebook expect a same-day response to questions and posts, where 52-percent of consumers using Twitter expect a company to respond within two hours.
• Be where your consumers are. Search for mentions of your brand within popular social sites, such as; Facebook, Google+, Instagram and Twitter. Whether this is your first step toward creating a social media presence, or you’re looking to enhance your current strategy, it is always a mistake to miss the opportunity to engage in dialogue about your brand. On the other hand, remember that you don’t need to be everywhere at once, so be deliberate when you choose which social sites to participate on.
• Collect and analyze data. Use your findings to better your overall customer service strategy moving forward. Ask yourself: How many comments provide feedback, and is it positive or negative? What time of day are your customers most active on social media? Are you there when they are? Are there any recurring themes in these comments or reviews, whether good or bad? What do types of posts does your audience seem to interact with most? Keeping track of your social interactions can help you identify areas of opportunity within your brand.

In addition to monitoring your brand on social platforms and responding to comments and reviews, being present on social media allows your brand the unique opportunity to go above and beyond to really wow your customers. Take a look at a few examples:

Morton’s Steakhouse met a man at the airport with a steak after he tweeted the company and asked for one.

Hey @Mortons – can you meet me at newark airport with a porterhouse when I land in two hours? K, thanks. 🙂

— Peter Shankman (@petershankman) August 17, 2011

Social & Porterhouse networking: Morton’s delivers steak to EWR to @petershankman after a tweeted craving http://t.co/vXL2uxB @consumerist

— Dan Tower (@danthegiftguru) August 18, 2011

JetBlue surprised a customer, @GavinDonovan, when he tweeted to them on a few occasions that he would like to have his theme song play when he boards his plane, specifically Hulk Hogan’s entrance music. The airline delivered!

Well played @JetBlue. I just walked on the plane to Hulk Hogan’s #wwf theme song. pic.twitter.com/MDwdTb7I

— Gavin Donovan (@GavinDonovan) January 28, 2013

Not only did these brands succeed in wowing their customers, but they benefited from the recognition they received when their clients took to social media again to brag about the experience!

Are your social media marketing efforts delivering excellent customer service? If you need help managing your online presence, contact Ferocious Media today to speak with us about our social media marketing offerings: 800-454-9103.