Customers have lots of ways to get the service they deserve today. They no longer have to spend hours on the phone waiting for answers. Instead, they can just reach out to a brand on social media.
Unfortunately, social media and customer service have a tenuous relationship. While half of all consumers expect businesses to respond to problems through social media channels, nearly 30% of people say they’ve had a negative experience with a brand on social media, and nothing could be worse for your business than poor customer service online.
Why do you need to improve your social media customer service right now? Take a look.
Why It Matters
Customers come to you on a regular basis, and you need to help them understand what a helpful resource you can be if you’re truly going to be an asset to their lives. Ignoring them or leaving their questions unanswered could mean a customer won’t return to your brand.
Remember, customers are communicating through social media every single day, and investing in social customer care efforts is the single best way to resolve customer concerns. Many customers prefer to reach out via social media over any other channel, and brands with social platforms that provide customer service are going to find far better engagement than others.
When you add that to the fact that many are predicting digital customer service interactions will only continue to increase, you have a recipe for improved social media customer service like never before. Understanding how to put a plan into place, though, isn’t easy.
Making It Happen
So, what can you do to amp up your customer service with social media? These tips can help.
Carefully Cultivate Relationships:
One of the single best things you can do is carefully cultivate your relationships with customers online. While your current social media approach might just be self-promotion, taking some simple steps to respond to customers directly and engage in the conversation is going to go a long way toward making customers feel as if they actually have a relationship with your brand.
Be Responsive:
Responding in a timely manner is absolutely essential to your social media customer service. You have to pay attention to everyone who posts because missing one or two negative comments means you’re going to have customers who lose trust in you. Make sure you make little responses to all of the comments like a simple “Thank You” or even an emoji. It helps customers understand that you’re actually listening.
Consider a Dedicated Handle:
Customer service teams need to know when to step in, so using a separate account for social media customer service can be a big help so everyone better understands their roles. For example, you could use your brand name and an underscore with the word “Help” just so the support team knows when to step in. If you choose to take this step, though, be sure you include the handle in all of your social media profile bios so people know when to contact you!
Need a bit of assistance with your social media customer service? Let us help you get things set up and running well. Contact us today to learn more.
