Ever wondered why social media has such an important place in our hearts? The answer is quite simple. It allows us to connect with people of different nationalities, cultures, and religions. We also get to keep up with our long-distance relationships.
To further stress the importance of social media, let us imagine a scenario. Imagine you have left your house for college, which is in a different country. You come back to your dorm room after a stressful calculus class. You miss your school friends and feel like updating them with what is going on in your life. What would you do? Will you write multiple letters and wait for them to be delivered to your besties? Of course not. Your first instinct would be to upload stories of your entire day on Instagram for them to see and then you would video call them to discuss all that happened.
Hence, social media has made the process of connecting with your loved ones very convenient. Businesses have also started using social media and consider it an integral part of their success. They believe that customer relationships via social media, as well as how they are maintained, are critical to a brand’s success. Moreover, sales, and to a considerable extent, brand loyalty and connection can be influenced positively through social media.
Thus, while social media was created for personal use and to preserve personal relationships, it has also evolved into a powerful tool for business. Businesses are increasingly making use of it now to enhance their customer service skills.
The main reason for this is that the customers want the customer service representatives to be available 24/7 in order to solve their issues and this constant availability can be achieved through social media. This is the reason why major providers like Cox are aiming to provide 24/7 quality customer support to all their subscribers. Customers can reach out to Cox cable customer service by mediums of their choice including phone lines, online chat options, and social media accounts.
Thus to further elaborate on this we will talk about the relevance of social media in driving customer service in this article. We will give you a quick answer here, and then go into more depth later.
If you are aware of the benefits of social media and want to improve your customer service, then this is the perfect read for you. We have enlisted all the necessary tips that will aid you in using social media as a tool for customer service.
Create genuine customer interactions in a timely manner
Many businesses use social media as another means of self-promotion, and they do not always reply when customers leave comments or tweet at them. The best way is to engage in conversations on your Facebook and Twitter profiles to create actual relationships.
While failing to answer at all will definitely harm your brand’s reputation, you must also respond within a reasonable amount of time. The reason is that a majority of customers expect you to reply within an hour and get restless when they have to wait for several hours.
You will realize the importance of prompt replies once you will put yourself in the customer’s shoes. Imagine you ordered a sweater on sale from an expensive brand online. You receive the sweater but unfortunately, you receive one size smaller than your actual size.
You start panicking as you spent a considerable amount on that sweater and want to ask the brand if there is a solution to this problem. You send them a message on all their social media sites. However, sadly, do not get a reply. Those hours of wait will eventually trigger your anxiety and you will never shop from that brand again.
Thus, it is important to use social media to converse with your customers and respond to their complaints and issues promptly so they feel comfortable while interacting with your brand.
Use hashtags prudently
Using a certain hashtag makes it easier for users to look for their issues under that hashtag. Hashtags, particularly on platforms like Twitter, help keep things organized and easy to navigate. You can also use the hashtag to contribute more information and curate content.
While it is critical to keep up with popular and content hashtags, particularly during the festive season, creating brand-specific hashtags for different campaigns could be equally useful. For example, if you are a company called Twix and you want to promote your photography competitions, then you could use the hashtag #TwixPhotography.
Try your best to be responsive
When responding to a customer complaint, pay close attention to the customer. It is very important to pay heed and let the customers know that you are present and actively listening to their concerns. A lack of attention leads to a bad response, which reflects poorly on your company. After all, when your brand responds to a specific user, it is visible to more than just your followers.
Moreover, it is also regarded as a terrible reaction if you do not respond at all. Whether it is a negative or a nice statement, people enjoy being recognized and heard. A simple thank you or an emoji reaction can have a significant influence on an individual scale.
It communicates to the customers that your company is attentive and responsive. The idea is to keep your followers, especially potential customers, informed that your company is active on social media and attentive to their needs.
Make yourself available at all times
Customers may first be able to contact you in order for you to reply properly. Brands frequently fail to provide excellent social customer assistance because they do not actively listen to and engage with their customers.
Brands that wish to provide efficient social media customer care should utilize social media monitoring to track all messages directed at their products. Chatbots can assist relieve the pressure on human customer support representatives by introducing automation.
Working together to strike the correct mix between automation and reachable customer service personnel will help brands respond more quickly and effectively to every relevant discussion.
Make public discussions private
Many angry or disappointed customers leave public comments on Instagram and Facebook sites or tweet about your business. This can harm your company, especially if individuals retweet or propagate the comments. While these signs should not be ignored, you should not deal with the matter in public.
Sending a public response with an invitation to continue the conversation privately indicates that you value the feedback of other customers. If someone tweets about how their item arrived damaged, respond with an apology and a reminder that a member of your customer service team reached out to them in their direct conversations.
Even positive issues should be dealt with privately, as this shows your customers that you care about their concerns or reviews and are not just looking for public praise. Moreover, to deliver a more personalized customer care experience; take the time to interact with customers one-on-one.
Final words
Social media is a fantastic tool to give cutting-edge customer care. It is advantageous to both customers and the business because it is simple for both. Hence, if you want to improve your customer retention rate and want your customers to say good things about your brand and products, then it is advisable that you make efficient use of social media in dealing with your customers.
