Social networks are great platforms for customer service
In the retail industry, customer service goes beyond friendliness and efficiency at the check out. Many companies use social media as part of retail marketing, but few are making use of the technology as a customer service tool. And they're missing out.
At a recent discussion held by the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania, panelists argued that communication with customers via social networks will soon be essential, including rapid responses to customer complaints and questions. For example, a British Airways flier spent money on Twitter to send his complaint about lost luggage to thousands of people, Smarter Travel reported. The airline was slow to respond, and received a dose of bad publicity as a result. Conversely, USA Today announced that many weather-grounded fliers who were unable to connect with customer service on busy phone lines received a rapid response online.
And that's what customers really want – responsiveness. According to a Maritz Research report, 83 percent of customers appreciate follow up from companies on Twitter, even if they don't specifically ask the company for help. Social media can be tricky, but a few tips can help: businesses should avoid canned responses, keep a light tone, and monitor closely for rapid responses, the UPenn panel advised.
