Social Media Is the Newest Customer Service Trend
Social media platforms are increasingly serving as customer service channels, even in business-to-business industries like manufacturing. Whether you spend time on Twitter, Instagram, Facebook or another social media site, you will likely see people discussing their purchases and experiences with other users. Customers can use these platforms to spread both positive and negative information about a brand, and companies are taking steps to intervene.
Whatever product or service you offer, you need to consider social media customer service, especially if you want to make a good impression on future customers.
Why Customer Service Has Moved to Social Media
If you’re like many manufacturing companies, you may wonder why your customer service team should be on social media at all. Isn’t listing a customer service email and phone number on your website enough? For better or worse, the answer is no. Customers today turn to social media to voice their concerns and reach out to brands, and you need to be there to respond when they do.
There are several potential explanations for why customer service has shifted to social media platforms. It could be that customers turn to a company’s social media presence when they have failed to contact customer service through other channels. In this scenario, customers are already frustrated by the time they tweet at your company.
Alternatively, some customers may choose to contact customer service on social because of the increased bargaining power a public platform provides. Users with high follower counts can place substantial pressure on a brand to respond appropriately since a poor response — or no response — could give other users a negative opinion of their product or service. As a result, customers often receive better service and have their complaints resolved more quickly when they reach out on social media.
Whether a customer is voicing a minor concern or tagging your brand in a desperate plea for help, a timely and helpful response from your representatives can prevent one customer’s experience from becoming a major crisis for your company. A great public display of customer support could even boost your reputation.
How Your Company Can Embrace Social Media Customer Service
Now that you know adopting this customer service trend could benefit your business, you’ll want to implement an effective social media customer service strategy. If you are just establishing your company’s online presence, however, this may require a significant investment of time and energy. Here are three tips to keep in mind:
- Keep all exchanges professional: Your customers view social media platforms as customer service channels, so the people managing your social media accounts should share that perspective. Reply quickly, avoid emotional or defensive responses, and steer clear of sarcasm. To ensure professionalism, you might develop protocols for handling certain situations.
- Use a social listening tool: Social listening tools allow companies to monitor what people are saying about them on all social media platforms from one place. They also enable you to spot trends, gather feedback and make informed improvements to your business strategy.
- Look to industry competitors: Analyze the social media presence of other companies in your industry. If a competitor is doing something particularly successful, try adopting that strategy yourself.
Learn More About Manufacturing Trends
Staying on top of customer service trends can help your company earn more business, and expanding your social media strategy offers a good place to start. To learn more about trends in manufacturing, check out our blog and feel free to contact Global Electronic Services online.
