Some of the articles I’ve seen on social media have focused on an area many businesses are failing in, namely: Customer Service. The issue is that businesses are ignoring the opportunity to engage customers via social media, specifically when it comes to customer complaints. Traditional marketers will say that paying attention to customers isn’t the way to go, but this seems counter-intuitive, especially when the visibility and transparency of a company is increasingly evident in the public eyes.
Social media provides businesses the opportunity to engage in proactive customer service, making themselves readily available to their customers. When a customer complains about a service or product, the business has an opportunity to address that concern and work with the customer to change the issue.
I’m reminded, most recently, of an exchange I and a few other people had about some Adobe products. We complained about their customer service and how long it took to get a question answered via the phone. And after the exchange was done, I watched to see if Adobe would reply via social media. They didn’t. An opportunity to address customer concerns was lost, and it further enhanced the reputation that Adobe has bad customer service.
What should companies do then to address customer service, especially via social media?
First, if the resources and budget is available, make sure there is a person or people who monitor and manage the social media presence of the company, while also doing search on social media for questions and issues that people ask. These people may not be asking those questions specifically in regards to your business, but that shouldn’t stop you from responding.
Second, develop a comprehensive business policy that addresses how social media is used in your business and what constitutes acceptable and unacceptable uses of social media when representing the business.
Third, when dealing with a customer complain, don’t just address the issue and solve, but also determine if this is a common complaint and look into making changes that solve the issue permanently.
These are just three components to consider in developing a customer service policy that allows a business to use social media and creates a positive presence for the business.
