ENTERPRISES AND SOCIAL MEDIA CUSTOMER SERVICE: BEING THERE FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS
For years, traditional customer service channels such as in-store assistance, dial-in customer hotlines, email, and website form submission dominated corporate level customer service.
All of that altered with the COVID-19 pandemic.
We Are Social’s Digital 2021 analysis suggests that the number of individuals on social media grew from 3.8 to 4.2 billion people from 2020 to 2021. That’s an increase of 400 million individuals (or 10%) in just one year!
In the fourth quarter of 2020, Facebook has 2.8 billion monthly active users worldwide, with 3.14 billion individuals using at least one of their products (Facebook, WhatsApp, Instagram, or Messenger.)
The consumption and communication behaviors of customers have changed as a result of the pandemic. Even the earliest adopters of social media, who have become accustomed to direct, real-time communication with family and friends, want brands they patronize to be social. What happens if you don’t show up?
A Conversation That Is Unavoidable
Enterprise brands, according to Digital marketing agencies, have the most difficulty developing social media customer care.
It’s no surprise, given that customer management replies must be scaled and consistent, and online help requests are unlikely to go away very soon.
As Metrobank Vice President and Head of Digital Marketing and Omnichannel Design Jonas de los Reyes points out, the pandemic has instilled in consumers new habits that will persist even as the world “returns” to normal.
Reyes stressed the importance of “being where your customers are,” ready to answer – and that online customer service is a “loyalty play” that ensures client retention in a recent Stridec webinar we hosted.
As a result, having a presence on Facebook and other key social media sites, as well as responding to client complaints, is no longer an option, but a requirement.
Scaling Up Your Social Media Presence For Your Clients
Although no programme can be developed overnight, what are some ways you may improve your social media customer service strategy? Here are a few examples.
Automation for Messenger (or Chatbot)
If you’re on Facebook, you’re probably getting a lot of questions through Messenger. The benefit of using this platform is that it is “always on,” available to receive communications at any time. Because client enquiries are frequently similar in nature, you can segment and automate your responses depending on their concerns.
If chatbot solutions to queries do not solve the customer’s demand, offer actual customer service – and set expectations about when your call or email will arrive.
Pay Attention — And Provide Direct Messaging Contact
Unhappy customers frequently criticize a company on social media, often without using the @ or your brand hashtag. It’s up to you to pay attention to their cries for rescue.
Many social media platforms, such as SproutSocial, BuzzSumo, and Meltwater, let you track brand mentions. Platforms like Twitter for Business allow account users to respond and prompt customers to submit a direct message as a response.
It’s now up to your customer service employees to address their issues. Your brand’s public reactions help to send favorable signals to your wider client base about your desire to assist.
Respond quickly — ideally within minutes, not hours.
A prompt response is one of the few things that can help customers feel better. Although target response rates aren’t carved in stone, marketers know that responding to a message query on Facebook, Instagram, or even Viber within five to 15 minutes has a significant impact.
It is entirely dependent on the type of service your company delivers. Is your utility company’s service down, or is there a billing issue that needs to be resolved? Is the consumer requesting a product return or checking on the status of a refund? Do they merely wish to locate your nearest location and pay you a visit?
Many questions are not urgent, and some are simple to answer; nonetheless, they are all significant. So, if a client ticket isn’t resolved within office hours, commit to continue working on it the following business day.
Become a member of Google My Business.
Businesses and business chains should look at Google My Business (GMB) to give clients with the information they need quickly, such as branch address information, operating hours, and phone numbers. You can say if COVID-19 had an impact on your business.
It’s also very social: you can upload frequent images and updates, answer questions and reviews, and even create promotional ads for upcoming events or promotions.
Google My Business enables you to establish a social presence for your brand’s frontline employees while also distributing your customer service workload across multiple platforms. It’s also crucial to assign community managers to it, as branded searches will encourage internet users to discover and read what other customers have to say about you.
The Service Hasn’t Changed – It’s Just Been Moved Online
Customers and their experience, rather than the channel they’re on, should be the focus, according to Reyes. You go back and develop and offer a memorable experience if you have a vision of the perfect customer journey.
Then there are goals and metrics to consider, such as messaging consistency, response timeliness, and customer resolution rates, among other things, he says.
When viewed in this light, social media customer service is an investment in client retention – a service that pays for itself.