Article

Sam Bradford
Sam Bradford 26 August 2016

Why Social Media Should Be Your Customer Service Resource

Customer service has changed dramatically in recent years. More and more, customers are using digital platforms to get in touch with businesses.

Social media has quickly evolved from a means for personal communication to multi-faceted platforms that allow for marketing, advertising, and, of course, customer communication. If you’re not using sites like Twitter or Facebook for staying in touch with your customers yet, it’s time to rethink your service strategy. Here are some reasons social media makes it easier than ever to address customer service needs in a fast-paced business climate.

Transparency

While a website is a must for any serious business, social media accounts can create a more transparent appearance online. That type of openness creates trust and respect from potential customers. Being active on social media allows you to provide a better look into what your company does while also showing that your company is thriving. Plus, you can link to your website, your contact info, your reviews, and other important information from your accounts, which essentially gives your customers a one-stop shop for everything they need to know about your company.

Faster Responses

social.jpg

Another benefit with social media is that it can let you respond to your customers’ needs faster. Whether it’s an issue with a product, a question about your services, or a complaint, a timely response makes for a happier customer in the end. Just make sure you have a device handy so you can respond quickly and efficiently. For example, business owners can communicate easily with a smartphone like T-Mobile's Samsung Galaxy S7 after receiving alerts to new messages or posts on their social media accounts. Plus, with a reliable 4G LTE network like T-Mobile's you know that you'll be connected to your customers quickly, and never miss a message.

Shout Outs

Having a social media account makes it easy for businesses to get shout outs from customers online. Platforms like Facebook, Twitter and Instagram make it easy to create a link to other user accounts, so those who see you mentioned in a post are only a click away from discovering your brand. While positive shout outs are great, keep in mind that some customers will use social media to call you out when something goes wrong. If you respond in a timely fashion and resolve the customer’s issue, that critical call out can quickly turn into a positive shout out.

New Ideas

As a business owner, it’s easy to get a little stuck in the habit of how you do things. But being active on social media will open you up to some great new ideas, both from your competitors and from your customers. You can see how other companies are doing things online and take note. And if you’re looking for fresh ideas, you can look to your customers as a resource. Ask what new products or services they would like to see — you might discover some untapped business opportunities.

Starbucks has used the same idea and has received more than 210,000 ideas from their customers. It’s a great way to address customer concerns while also making them feel involved in the process of improving your company.

Personalization

Yet another upside to using social media is that it gives a human voice to your business. Most companies have a fairly formulaic “Contact Us” page on their website. While those directions for getting in touch with a customer service representative are clear and concise, they aren’t exactly warm and welcoming.

That changes when you use social media. Many businesses employ a more personal tone on their social media accounts, which makes it less intimidating for customers to get in touch with their concerns or questions. The conversational nature of these platforms makes it easier to interact with customers on a level playing field, which is something that can seriously improve your customer satisfaction.

If you haven’t done it already, it’s time to take the plunge into social media. When it comes to customer service, these platforms offer easy solutions for common customer conundrums.

Please login or register to add a comment.

Contribute Now!

Loving our articles? Do you have an insightful post that you want to shout about? Well, you've come to the right place! We are always looking for fresh Doughnuts to be a part of our community.

Popular Articles

See all
How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

How to Review a Website — A Guide for Beginners

A company website is crucial for any business's digital marketing strategy. To keep up with the changing trends and customer buying behaviors, it's important to review and make necessary changes regularly...

Digital Doughnut Contributor
Digital Doughnut Contributor 25 March 2024
Read more
The World Is Shrinking: 6 Degrees of Separation Is Now 2!

The World Is Shrinking: 6 Degrees of Separation Is Now 2!

Six degrees of separation is not just a party game, it's a reality. Everyone is the world is interconnected, and thanks to social media, that connectedness gets tighter and richer each day. See the research...

Scott Christley
Scott Christley 9 August 2017
Read more
The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

The Impact of New Technology on Marketing

Technology has impacted every part of our lives. From household chores to business disciplines and etiquette, there's a gadget or app for it. Marketing has changed dramatically over the years, but what is the...

Alex Lysak
Alex Lysak 3 April 2024
Read more
What Marketing Content Do Different Age Groups like to Consume?

What Marketing Content Do Different Age Groups like to Consume?

Today marketers have a wide choice of different content types to create; from video to blogs, from memes to whitepapers. But which types of content are most suitable for different age groups?

Lisa Curry
Lisa Curry 21 October 2016
Read more
10 Factors that Influence Customer Buying Behaviour Online

10 Factors that Influence Customer Buying Behaviour Online

Now is an era where customers take the center stags influencing business strategies across industries. No business can afford to overlook factors that could either break the customer experience or even pose a risk of...

Edward Roesch
Edward Roesch 4 June 2018
Read more