Three Reasons Why You Should Use Social Media for Customer Service

It’s a new day in the world of customer service.

The days of an 800 number and email address being the sole communication tools for customer service departments are over. Today, social media has entered the scene, and as the early returns indicate, it’s a win-win situation for both customers and businesses.

If you think social media hasn’t provided a breath of fresh air in the world of customer service, check out what’s happening in the hospitality and telecommunications. Here are some pertinent examples of how businesses are dazzling customers and turning complaints into a golden marketing opportunity:

• A sales representative staying at the Orlando Marriott World Center had a room that overlooked some air conditioning units. He tweeted, “I have the crappiest room in the hotel.” A front-desk employee saw the tweet, and immediately upgraded the client to a room with a view of the pool.

• AT&T is ramping up its “social media customer care” division to respond to the over 10,000 mentions per day about AT&T and its products and services and “shape the online conversation”.

• A guest who moderates and edits a website about Blackberry news tweeted that he wanted “a cold beer.” A hotel employee picked up the tweet, and replied “Can I buy you a beer? Stop by the front desk.” When the guest visited the front desk, a bucket with 10 beers for the client and his friends was waiting.

• A hotel guest staying in the Bahamas was becoming frustrated by a lack of towels and the absence of a rollaway bed in his room. With no response forthcoming from the front desk, he posted a note about it on the company’s Facebook page. Within the hour, his towels and rollaway bed were delivered.

These examples clearly indicate that not only do businesses react to social media, but many customer have quickly placed a premium on their response.

But why? Isn’t it enough to simply pass the complaint to your staff and put them in the queue with other customer service issues? The answer is an emphatic “NO”, and for a reason that may surprise you.

Social media customer service is a marketing opportunity

When you consider that any complaint voiced in social media isn’t just a one-on-one conversation between you and your customer but rather a part of the entire online conversation about a brand, the stakes for organizations are much higher.

In the case of the influential Blackberry guest listed above, his extensive list of Twitter followers could see exactly how the hotel handled the comment. It was a tangible example of the hotel’s customer service staff in action.

Using social media for your customer service can effectively help you on a number of fronts. Here are the three reasons why you should make it part of your program:

1. Address customers where they’re at. Social media is within easy reach for most people and they expect you to respond. According to blogger MG Siegler who applauded Comcast’s efforts to reach customers in social media, "A lot of people complain about Comcast, but when they get someone person-to-person reaching out, a lot of people feel better, even if it doesn’t actually serve long-term problems."

1. Generate positive exposure with a vast audience. Simply showing that you’re quick to respond to issues and resolve customer concerns in social media can be worth more than any corresponding effort spend on advertising or marketing.

1. Use it for invaluable market research. The comments you receive can also give you a real-time indication of where you’re falling short. If you respond to those tweets and posts, you gain valuable insight to what’s really irritating and motivating customers.

Skeptics may shy away from the no-holds barred world of social media, but for the business truly focused on customer satisfaction, this is a golden opportunity.

You can prove yourself, market yourself, and better yourself all at once. It’s why social media has quickly become the norm among companies intent on providing innovative customer service solutions.