Social media has taken the Internet by storm. It is an effective tool widely used by brands not only in promoting products and services but ...
Social media has taken the Internet by storm. It is an effective tool widely used by brands not only in promoting products and services but also in customer service. Below we suggest how to solve customer problems in social media and what mistakes to avoid.
Social media in customer service - opportunities and challenges
Social media is a communication channel that offers companies great opportunities, not only in terms of marketing but also in the field of customer service. It is an opportunity to strengthen contacts with customers, establish a friendly dialogue and effectively solve their problems. However, social media is also a challenge. Customers have been given a platform on which they can "pour out" all their regrets and spread the negative opinion of other brand lovers. Social media is not asleep, therefore customer service conducted on its pages should be carried out constantly. A bad customer is an impatient customer. The sooner we manage to solve his problem, the less chance he will want to continue his propaganda war in the comments. Before you decide to move your customer service to social media, think about everything and plan.
Choosing the right person - you have to remember that social media has its own rules, specific rules prevail in their pages, and users often use abbreviations. The appropriate profile of a person delegated to contact clients in social media should be a combination of youth, already certain experience in this field and the ability to use the most popular channels in this field. In larger companies, customer service is most often handled by entire teams, in which work both young people who know the specifics of the Internet, as well as people who are already experienced in dealing with customers, who have the appropriate competences and know-how to deal with stressful situations.
Treat your customer with seriousness and respect - many companies make the mistake of approaching their customers too intimately, even as if they were to their classmates from elementary school. Sometimes it happens that they approach the client's problem lightly, often with a large dose of irony. Remember that even a small problem from the company's point of view is big and serious for the client. It's just like in a clinic when a patient with a slightly injured finger comes to him, he demands the same attention from the staff as patients with serious cardiac problems are treated. It is not even worth mentioning the principles of personal culture, it is an obvious matter. Being polite and polite is the responsibility of every customer service employee.
Respond to customer questions promptly - remember that social media is awake and problematic customers are impatient. Each of us knows that waiting for a long time to solve a problem only adds to the irritation. Reply as quickly as possible, even if you know you are unable to solve the problem at this point. Each answer and announcement of conflict resolution somewhat relieve emotions and calms down. Research shows that over 50 % of social media users expect a response within the first hour. Global brands are well aware of this. For example, KLM airline Twitter lists the time when a customer can expect a response from a consultant. The time is updated every 5 minutes.
Of course, not every comment requires a quick response, but the one that needs to be answered quickly depends on the employee and his / her sense of the situation. Hence, experience in this field is so important.
Individual approach - the most common mistake made by companies is answering customer questions in a template manner using the PR language - news. Very often, in the event of any ambiguities or problems, companies post an identical, "emergency" comment. This does not solve the case, it actually increases the anger. The client should feel that the consultant is familiar with his problem. He is waiting for a concrete answer regarding his case. An individualized answer is a key to success.
Do everything possible - minimalism in customer service is the worst attitude. In any case, it is worth doing more than seems possible. Going above the standard is something the client will remember for a long time. You can be sure that other recipients (observers) will appreciate each gesture.
Use social CRM tools for customer service - human memory is fleeting. Thanks to various types of applications, each consultant will have access to the history of the problem under consideration. Even if the client announced the discussion on Facebook, the employee will know what is going on and at what stage the matter is by contacting later via Twitter.
Summary
Customer service is a highly underestimated aspect of running a business in Poland. This is due to many reasons, including bad habits from the previous economic and political system. However, it must be remembered that customer satisfaction is not only the result of the price and quality of the product but also the level of service, including after-sales service. A proper customer service is a form of marketing that allows you to gain a competitive advantage on the market.
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