Social Media Customer Service: Build Better Relationships

Companies can no longer ignore customer service requests on social media. It's now a crucial aspect of building stronger customer relationships and boosting customer lifetime value.

The Importance of Social Media Customer Service

Studies have shown that companies who ignore social media support requests experience a higher churn rate, while those who engage and respond to customer requests see an increase in customer spending.

• A Gartner study found that companies who ignore social media support requests see an average churn rate that's 15% higher than companies who don't.
• A Bain & Company study suggests that when companies engage and respond to customer service requests over social media, those customers, on average, end up spending 20% to 40% more with the company.

7 Best Practices for Social Media Customer Service

Building better relationships with customers through social support can lead to significant wins for your business, especially in terms of customer retention and increased customer lifetime value.

1) Pick the Best Social Media Platforms for Your Business

Instead of focusing on what might be considered the "best" platform, focus on where your customers are. You need to deliver a customer service experience that is native to their preferred social media network.

• Conduct a simple survey to determine which social media platforms your customers use most frequently.
• For example, KLM Airlines has a LinkedIn group that provides 24/7 customer support to passengers, recognizing that many of their customers are professionals who utilize LinkedIn.

2) Monitor Social Media Mentions

Stay informed about when and where your product or business is mentioned on social media. Utilize tools that alert you to mentions.

• Free search tools like Social Mention can help you stay on top of brand mentions.
• Paid products like Mention offer more robust features for monitoring social media mentions.
• Use social media integrations in help desk software to streamline social media customer service, allowing you to create tickets and respond directly from the platform.

3) Look for Mentions That Might Not Be Obvious

Don't assume customers know your social media handles. Also, be prepared for misspellings.

• Search for your product or business name, along with misspelled variations, on a regular basis.
• Tools like HootSuite can automatically update your feed with new search results.

4) Speed Matters in Social Support

Speed is essential for social media customer service. Respond as quickly as possible.

• The Social Habit survey found that 32% of social media users expect a response within 30 minutes, and 42% expect a response within 60 minutes.

5) Use the Right Tone of Voice

Tailor your tone to match the customer's tone. Read the social media message carefully to get a sense of the customer's mood and personality.

• Notice if the customer uses emoticons, exclamation points, or slang. Adjust your tone accordingly.
• If the customer sounds frustrated, use a tone that is understanding, apologetic, and reassuring.
• Observe how JetBlue tailors its tone to each customer on Twitter, demonstrating the importance of adapting your communication style.

6) Take Things Offline When Necessary… The Right Way

Not all issues can be resolved on social media. It's okay to transition the conversation to a different channel, like email or phone, but do it with empathy and care.

• Avoid simply telling the customer to call or email; this can come across as rude and uncaring.
• Instead, emphasize that you are going to make things right by assisting them in the transition to another channel.

7) Use Your Knowledge Base to Make Things Easy

A knowledge base can improve your customer service by reducing the number of support tickets, providing faster service, and increasing customer satisfaction.

• In a survey by Coleman Parkes, 91% of online consumers said they would use an online knowledge base if it were available and tailored to their needs.
• Link to knowledge base articles from social media to save time and provide customers with easy-to-follow guides.

Social Media Customer Service Can Help Grow Your Business

By providing excellent customer service on social media platforms where your customers are already active, you can build stronger relationships with them. This will lead to more loyal customers, which is essential for long-term business growth.