How To Use Mobile for Social Customer Service
The trend is clear. A growing number of CEOs are convinced that improving customer service has a direct, beneficial impact on business. However, when it comes to adopting digital tools in order to attract and retain customers, there’s still a lot to be done. That’s why I’m going to offer you in this post an overview on social customer expectations, 3 key questions to choose customer support channels, plus a case study about Twitter for social care.
A lot of great stuff – guaranteed. So, are you ready for that?
Social and mobile have changed customers expectations
It’s pretty cold here in Milan, Italy, but still sunny. So these days I’m taking nice walks just like a tourist ;-). During one of those, I was listening to a great podcast ‘how social media has changed the game for customer service‘, hosted by Dan Gingiss and Dan Moriarty interviewing customer expert Shep Hyken. I really enjoyed that episode because it touched one of the most crucial customer service topics:
In particular, in just a few years, interactions over social /mobile networks have dramatically increased. As a result, they’ve rapidly raised customers expectations for both speed of response and resolution. Moreover, as nearly 80% of engagement over social networks take place on mobile devices, brands need to face new challenges in order to stay competitive (i.e. to get and retain their customers).
USEFUL READ: if you want to dive into the Pros and Cons of using social and mobile for customer support, listen to my podcast interview with customer service expert Martin Hill-Wilson. You can enjoy the episode HERE.
“Be where your customers are”
↑ The above sentence ↑ is a very good motto for any brand wishing to improve customer satisfaction, thus retention. As consumers use different devices to get information about a brand, as well as different channels to get in touch with them, it’s paramount to know where your customer are. Consequently you should be able to answer the following questions before taking important decisions regarding your customer service / call-centre.
- Where do your customers usually consume online information? (Via desktop / laptop / smartphone / tablet)
- Which channels do they prefer to interact with your brand? (Which social network / website / blog / forum)
- Are there new channels they’d like you to provide customer support on?
TIP: When considering new channels to integrate into your customer service, do not underestimate instant messaging Apps. According to Software Advice report, 75% of US adults aged 35-44 seek support via mobile more than once a month and an eye-opening 90% have had poor experiences seeking customer support on mobile.
Use new social customer support features [case study]
Indian Bank Icici has partnered with Twitter to improve their customer support capabilities. That also means taking full advantage of Twitter’s recently added features (‘Welcome Messages’ and ‘Quick Replies’), which enhance customer support interactions via Direct Message (DM).
Want to see them in action? See how England’s biggest supermarket brand, Tesco, uses the above mentioned features:
Step 1. Click Tesco’s Direct Message button on Twitter
Step 2. Receive immediate welcome message + many options many options (including talking to a human agent)
Step 3. Make a choice (e.g. ‘Online Grocery Shopping’), then brand replies with tailored information and/or asks you further questions.
Your Turn
In 10 years, social and mobile apps have revolutionized customer service. In the next 2-3 years, chat bots and instant messaging apps will probably do the same. Avoiding any prediction, one thing is sure: you need to invest in customer service to make it YOUR competitive advantage.
If you keep doing it just on prices, you’ll soon be DEAD.
Have great social conversations. (And perhaps start one below, in the comments!)
Lead/Featured image: Copyright: ‘http://www.123rf.com/profile_rawpixel‘/ 123RF Stock Photo
Paolo Fabrizio
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