How To Use Social To Deliver The Best Customer Service
Q1. Why should we add social to our customer service channels?
Q2. What are the costs/benefits of such choice?
Q3. Shall we re-arrange our customer service structure?
These are 3 of the most frequently asked questions by customer service directors. I understand their feelings, since integrating new channels such as social networks is not simple, but I’m convinced that embracing social customer service is a crucial choice that needs to be done for the future of any company.
Therefore, I will use this post to answer them.
A1. Because customers have new needs to be met
As stated in the 2015 U.S. state of multichannel customer service report, 98% of consumers say that customer service is important to their choice of, or loyalty to, a brand. This amazing figure represents a clear message from customers to all companies, regardless of whether they deal with customers online or offline:
HELP ME MAKE MY LIFE EASIER!
Customers demand fast resolution over social. That’s why brands need to listen and take action by integrating different channels such as social networks, phone, chat and self-service in a seamless way.
Think about the market as if it was a big airport: this is the last call to get onboard, or else be ousted from the competition.
A2. Wise investments today > guaranteed profits in the long run
Image Credit: Unsplash.com
Nothing’s for free, especially when you have to change your habits of doing business. Social Customer Service is no exception as you have to invest time and money; so you’d better do it wisely, choosing your goals first then taking relevant actions.
Whether you want to monitor mentions and sentiment or directly engage with customers using social networks, you have to invest on a valid digital platform to handle and monitor conversations across different channels. Make sure to choose the right one according to your current and future needs in terms of:
- Compatibility with your current CRM system
- Flexibility (you may need to add extra access to new agents as the number of Social Customer Service staff may grow in the future)
TIP: find out more about SCS platforms and compare their different features here.
Now, back to the second part half of the question ‘how about the benefits?’ I will answer you with three powerful words:
WIN CUSTOMER LOYALTY
Nowadays, consumers have easy access to real-time information about your brand and it’s become very easy to opt in and switch to a competitor. With rise of the autonomous customer, brands must become more proactive if they want to remain attractive to existing customers and prospects.
As 86% of customers are wiling to spend more for a better customer experience, (Customer Experience Impact Report) you’d better change perspective on customer service:
A3. Yes, train your Social Customer Service staff and integrate them
Alright, that’s a pretty long headline/answer but I had to do that to fully motivate and inspire you. As you embrace Social Customer Service, take into account that even the most experienced staff need to be fully trained, either on technical and soft skills.
They will need to learn how to deal with public conversations – as that’s social networks’ main peculiarity – and to be able to switch to a different tone of voice according to the specific social network they’re using (Facebook ≠ Twitter).
ENABLE YOUR CUSTOMER SERVICE STAFF TO DELIVER AT THEIR BEST.
In a recent blog post by Onereach, 63 customer service influencers were asked ‘What’s the best way to improve customer service?‘ They all have answered with a quote and I was especially impressed by Bill Quiseng’s:
Final thoughts
Listen to your customers today and invest on the quality of service you deliver if you want to still get profits tomorrow.
Train your social customer service staff, empower them and get equipped with the right digital platforms to manage and monitor your team’s performance in a real-time.
Now, my very last question is for YOU: what’s your best ingredient to attract and retain customers?
I’d love to read your experience in the comments below↓
Lead/Featured Image: Copyright: ‘http://www.123rf.com/profile_jirsak‘ / 123RF Stock Photo
Paolo Fabrizio
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