Every business around the globe works hard in offering great customer service, because a company’s success hinges in part on happy clients who get what they want. If you are unable to satisfy clients, they will seek business elsewhere, and your company profitability will drop due to lost sales. These days, with the advent of social media where they can freely and directly engage with the companies, clients have become more critical of the services they receive. They can easily give online ratings, testimonials, and reviews. And what’s alarming about these first hand accounts, many consumers world wide believe and trust in them more than the hard selling advertisements. When people want to try new products or services, nowadays, they turn to the internet to search for these personal reviews.
In this digital world, where every citizen practically possesses a mobile device, going online is a breeze with a mere swipe of a finger tip. It is not surprising the most transactions for shopping, bank, mails, and other things are conducted online. Customers demand for quick and efficient service from companies, which they can easily fit into their digitally programmed and fast paced lives. One piece of this is puzzle is multichanneling options that are provided by the different kinds of social media apps.
These days, Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram apps are not just for promoting sales and launching new products. Multichanneling paves the way for improving customer service. Unhappy, satisfied clients can easily resolve their issues by posting on FB, and tagging the offensive corporation. Real-time and quick exchanges from the company representative can be seen in the comments and replies. Here are three key ways where businesses can capitalize on social media channels to give the kind of customer service experiences that today’s modern clients are looking for:
Quick and Prompt Response
Customers have always wanted quick results whether online or offline. People are generally impatient and do not like wasting their time. Quick and prompt responses have always been expected from companies, more so now in this age of social media where everything can be easily done and accessed with the aid of technology. With direct lines to numerous companies because their social sites, clients demand and expect for an almost instant response the moment they put out their queries. Companies who are highly responsive, say in Twitter with replies and retweets, are seen as more reliable and worthy to support.
These days, consumers turn to companies official social pages for help and support. In fact, studies indicate that majority of consumers say that the most critical component of a company’s social site is rapid response to questions. If companies do not respond within an hour, it is met with great disdain. Leverage on this and make sure your staff are responsive and on top of the game. If they are not able to respond within an hour, you risk pissing off your clients. With so many competitors lurking in the background willing to provide quality customer care, make sure you take great pains and do not let that happen.
Capitalize on Random Acts of Kindness
Never ever underestimate the power of feeling loved and appreciated. Loyal patrons are always thrilled when they feel a company’s genuine concern and appreciation for their loyalty. The next time a client leaves you a positive message on your Facebook page, then respond right away. On top of that, go the extra mile and PM to offer a discount code. Responding with a kind gesture is always the classy thing to do. It doesn’t have to be something in a grand scale. But a simple like and comment will go a long way. Holding raffles and giveaways have also been documented to please and excite clients, making them order more from you.
If the client happens to leave a negative feedback, then it is even more imperative that you reply instantly. Appeasing a client is the top priority, so they won’t walk out that door. Sometimes, diffusing tension is a matter of quickly owning up to the mistake, apologizing, and offering solutions. Quick responses even to the nastiest messages will ensure that the situation will not escalate, keeping your company image and reputation protected.
Dedicate an Entire Page for Support and Feedback
Some businesses have taken customer service on their social media pages to a whole new level by making a separate account and dedicating a whole new team to man this account. For instance, Microsoft’s Xbox has a separate Twitter account that is known to handle queries from Monday-Sunday at 6am-12am. The company welcomes all kinds of questions and statements on this site. Topics like game releases, connection issues, product trouble shooting, and the like are covered.
For a smaller businesses, it may be difficult to set up something as large as Xbox, but offering round the clock support via PM or offering to live chat during specific pre-set blocks of time will help. This is due to the customers need of constantly providing feedback. Never discount these exchanges because one of the crucial elements of successful customer service is asking for and listening to feedback.
If you really want to know what your clients think of your company, one of the best ways to do it is to ask. Here are a few ways to make technology work for you:to make a Facebook poll. You can also easily ask on Twitter for clients to give constructive criticism, so you can use their suggestions to improve your products and services. Make a hashtag for ease of filtering, as well as promotion. It is a win-win method for everyone because the clients feel great when their opinions are heard and your business will benefit from their feedback.
With each passing day, and with the constant improvement of technology, businesses have to stay active and readily adapt to the rapidly evolving demands of their customers. Combining traditional and digital methods to ensure that each client has a great experience with your company remains the top priority. Happy clients equate to a more successful business.
