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
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.