If you’ve bought anything in the last few years, you’ve no doubt noticed that customer service is not what it used to be. Most of us don’t dare pick up the phone because we fear hearing that dreaded phrase:
“To hear a menu of options, please press 1.”
Now, however, some companies are finally getting it right, and their training ground has been none other than the prolific world of social media. On her Perspectives blog, Mila Araujo provides these four reasons why companies that invest in social media achieve better customer service:
Social Media Requires High Engagement
Companies that have committed themselves to social media listen to what their customers are saying and the buzz around the web that’s related to the company, and they respond in real time. Because they are routinely engaging their audience one-on-one already, they are more likely to provide excellent service.
Social Media Requires Adaptation
In order to do well in social media, you have to be dynamic, motivated, and nimble. You have to be able to change quickly in order to use social media channels to deliver products and services more effectively. Companies who live in this mindset require employees who do as well.
Social Media Tools Use Public Conversation Forums
The fact that everyone can see what you are doing and how you are responding to an issue creates a higher standard overall. Companies that use social media are confident in their approaches and are trained to respond so they can offer a high level of consistent performance. On the other hand, the nature of social media allows for quick identification of less desirable behaviors that must be corrected quickly.
Social Media Enables Viral Behavior
Anyone using social media knows that bad press can easily go viral, and it doesn’t have to be by way of a major news story. All it takes is one person to make a negative comment and others may join the discussion. This kind of viral spread ensures that social media-minded companies pay special attention to operations so an online PR disaster doesn’t occur.
This post was originally published on Intuit's Quickbase blog.
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Posted by: Jonny Kintzele | July 03, 2012 at 12:43 PM