Taking advantage of the large social media and marketing community, our team took the opportunity to participate in a live webinar, Customer Service is the New Marketing: Turning Satisfaction into Sales, hosted by Social Media Today and their panel of esteemed speakers, Frank Eliason (@FrankEliason), Hansen Lieu (@HansenTweets) and Nick Ayres (@nickjayres). Bellagurl’s inbound marketing philosophy is all about breaking through the clutter and connecting to customers, and Social Media Today and their panelists offered great insight into giving customers the experience they crave via social media.
While customer service isn’t the “new” marketing focus – it always has been – it’s important to acknowledge that traditional marketing is no longer reaching the modern audience the way it once did. We live in a world of Social Darwinism. 82% of consumers would trust their peers for information more than anyone else, and it’s never been easier to give and receive opinions. Even more importantly, 88% of customers are influenced by online customer reviews when making buying decisions. And where do they find these reviews? Social media. Here is some insight to address some frequently asked questions and to help ensure your customer service and marketing strategies are always aligned.
How should I be measuring the quality of my customer service?
When measuring the effectiveness of your customer service, your metrics should be quantitative as well as qualitative. If a customer has a concern and you are able to answer their initial question quickly, does that make it a good customer experience? You should also question whether or not the customer had a positive, satisfying experience. Consider your “customer effort score.” How much work did the customer have to do to get their issue resolved? How long did they wait for an answer? How many people did they have to call before they found the right person?
Do I always have to fix problems publicly?
Not all companies are expected to deal with potential issues via social media, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t have a strong social media presence. If that is where your customers are most comfortable sharing their experiences and concerns, you should be standing by, ready to help. Apologize for the inconvenience and direct them to a phone number or email where the issue can be handled more appropriately and directly.
What if I have a chronic social media complainer?
Unfortunately, more customers are willing to complain rather than praise a company for their service, most likely because negative reviews have a tendency to get more attention. The good news for businesses is that social media fosters a sense of community, and you can use this to your advantage. If you have a customer who loves to use social media to complain, publicly address the issue to your best ability. If the community can see that you have done everything you can to remedy the issue, they’re more likely to jump to your defense.
How do you remedy this issue without rewarding people who complain?
Your company shouldn’t be expected to reward people who complain. The only thing that the customer expects is that the issue is remedied, so rather than showering them with gifts to compensate for your mistake, give them a great customer experience. Fix the issue so that the complainer is happy, and make sure that other customers know that they shouldn’t expect anything like that to happen to them.
If you’d like to learn more about how to create a positive experience on social media to ensure customer delight, call us today. Bellagurl will work with you to establish an effective social media management plan that will leave each customer feeling appreciated and understood. We offer free consultations. We make marketing that matters.
