At Shoppers, Inc. we are very passionate about great customer service, measurement, and teamwork. The article below from Parker Davis about Do These 3 Things on Social Media to Provide the Best Customer Service relates to our goals and passions. Hope you enjoy it!
Do These 3 Things on Social Media to Provide the Best Customer Service
Social media isn’t just for marketing anymore. It’s a place for you to network and develop company culture. It’s also most likely the first place your potential clients get an impression for your business. Your social media presence can sink your business, or it can elevate you above your competition. Here are 3 ways to excel on customer service through social media.
1. Answer questions before they can ask
The first step to excellent online interaction with your customers is to prevent unnecessary questions. If your customers have no other resources to get their questions answered, they’re going to be flooding your timelines with inquiries.
Use your social media to provide content answers so your customers don’t have to search for important info. You can do this with case studies and testimonials, so they can learn about your company from current customers.
An FAQ page also goes a long way. Answer 1 says, “FAQs provide valuable information for existing and potential buyers. To have a comprehensive FAQ section, you have to find out what key things customers would like to know about you and what you have to offer.”
By answering potential questions before your potential client can ask, you show them that your business is industry leading. They will be surprised and pleased with how prepared you are to give them an excellent experience.
2. Develop a fast response time
After you’ve provided all the info you can on your blog and social media accounts, you still need to stay on top of things. The best way to do this is to make sure you have a fast reply time to any inquiries online. 72% of people who contact a company on Facebook to complain expect a reply within an hour, according to Hubspot.
You need to take the time to reach out and prevent problems. You don’t need an immediate answer, but you do need to let your clients know you hear them. Simply acknowledging the problem and providing a timeline for getting it fixed is enough to satisfy most upset customers.
They just want to know that their problem is being taken seriously. Harvard Business Review reports, “It is anywhere from 5 to 25 times more expensive to acquire a new customer than it is to keep a current one.”
Social media is your first line of support. If you don’t handle these issues asap, customers will leave bad reviews and turn to your competition. Make sure your social media presence is authentic and consistent, and your customer service will be recognized for excellence.
3. Build a rapport with customers
The last step to building excellent customer service on social media is to build a rapport with your customers. Using social media for marketing is crucial, but it’s also key to making meaningful connections with your audience. Your social media presence needs to address the customer experience.
Do this by asking for feedback. Engage your audience with polls and interactive content, like through Instagram stories. If your clients are able to comment on the day to day operations of your business, they’ll feel included and more open to your message.
Posting topically is another good way to connect with your audience. If there’s a big movie release, an international sporting event like the World Cup, or a little known holiday happening, share about it! Commenting on pop culture and current events will let your audience know you’re in the loop and part of the conversation.
This can go wrong when discussing hot button issues, so unless your business is politically engaged, stay away from anything divisive. This is meant to be an engaging way to connect with customers, rather than a loaded conversation.
Building a rapport and relationship with your clients can difficult, but the long term results are definitely worth the trouble. Trial and error will lead you in the right direction here! Just start getting your posts out there, and see what works with your audience.
Elevate Customer Service with Social Media
Your social media presence is a tool for your customers to make connections with you. Streamline your response system, create engaging content, and provide answers. You’ll see a difference in your business in no time.
*Permission was given by SmallBizClub.com and the author, Parker Davis, credited as the source. Link to the original post.
Parker Davis
Parker Davis is the CEO of Nexa, a leader in the virtual receptionist and technology enabled answering services industry. He believes that the application of data analytics, investment in technology, and fostering a positive company culture together create highly efficient and scalable growth companies. In 2016, Nexa achieved record revenues while also being awarded the Top Companies to Work For in Arizona award. Parker is also the Managing Partner of Annison Capital Partners, LLC, a private investment partnership. Follow him on Twitter @callnexa and on Facebook and LinkedIn.
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