One of the benefits of social media is the way it allows a company to stay in front of its customers and prospects. Fans and followers who are constantly accessing a company”™s social pages are deriving value while allowing that company to increase sales and visibility. Outstanding customer care through social media provides a powerful means for a company to generate a competitive advantage.
With over 55 percent of companies declaring that social media support is a differentiator in customer service, it is hard to believe that less than 40 percent of all companies devote a reasonable amount of resources to their social media support. Social media support also increases customer loyalty, 58 percent of companies claim. Most importantly, 61 percent of companies with effective social customer service report higher levels of customer satisfaction.
Almost every client or prospect I meet touts their customer service. Regardless of what field they are in, the common response I hear is, “What differentiates us from our competition is our customer service. We listen carefully to what our clients say.” I don”™t doubt that they believe this and that in some situations it is true. However, the level of disbelief rises when every company makes the same claim and has limited examples and testimonials to back it up. A recent study by HelpScout reported that while 80 percent of companies believe they have superior customer service, only 8 percent of their customers believe they deliver that level of service.
According to American Express, customers who receive excellent service on social media spend over 21 percent more money than people who do not. This could easily lead to further increases in revenue since highly satisfied customers will tell 42 people on average about their positive experience. It”™s a two-edged sword, however, as unsatisfied customers will tell 53 people on average about their negative experience. So while customer service is important, making sure that it is a very positive experience is essential. One direct result of positive interactions is a 60 percent increase in people who follow your blog and open your email. This further enhances your brand along with the likelihood of additional and larger sales.
Key factors for excellent customer service include:
1. Prompt response
No one likes waiting for a response, and whatever self-control and tolerance people might have once had for online delays is rapidly disappearing. Customers look for and expect a prompt response to their queries and comments. In fact, the speed of the response is often more important than the content (within reason). This is where tools like Google Alerts and Talkwalker can play an important role.
2. Customer care
“How am I being treated? Treat me right and I will be back. Treat me wrong and pay the price.” When you make your response, make it personal. Addressing people by name is an extremely effective response technique. (Incidentally, this is similarly effective for email campaigns.)
3. Social platform
Be where your customers are. If they are on Facebook, make sure you are on Facebook. Facebook is an extremely effective platform for brand support. Being able to provide empathy and understanding for all to see will greatly facilitate social interaction and positive feedback.
4. Analytics and resolution rate
Obviously, the higher your resolution rate, the better your customer support. Consistently checking your analytics for the number of postings, the quickness of response, the number of communications and the resolution of an issue will provide invaluable insight for your support services. Having a survey that gauges customer satisfaction is also very useful.
Setting up a customer service channel is sometimes difficult and time consuming. It can also be expensive. Yet, it can help a company of any size use social media to maximize positive exposure, increase sales and truly differentiate itself from competitors. In this age of increasing social media activity, it is too important to be overlooked.
Bruce Newman is vice president at The Productivity Institute L.L.C. and a regular contributor to the Business Journal. He specializes in content creation and digital marketing. He can be reached at bnewman@prodinst.com.
