Using Social Media for Customer Service
Andrew Bungert Joe Yeoman Community Managers BigMarker
Consumers today are empowered • They have a voice on public forums like TwiAer and Facebook
• InformaDon can go “viral” very easily – Bad experiences more likely to be shared than good ones.
How Many People Are Using Social Media?
1.19 billion monthly users (10/30/13) 500 million users (10/3/13) 216 million monthly users (5/20/13) 150 million users (9/8/13) 40 million users (9/5/13) 300 million acDve users (1/26/13) 40 million users (8/20/13)
• 25% of enterprises used social media for customer service in 2010, expected to be 90%+ by 2020.
• Brands have improved customer service response rates on Facebook from 5% in 2011 to 62% in 2013.
When Customer Service is Good
• 71% of consumers who experience a quick response likely to recommend, compared to 19% who receive no response.
• Customers spend 20-‐40% more with company who respond to customer service requests over social media.
• Advocates drive 33% more sales and 18% more traffic.
When Customer Service is Bad
• 36% of consumers who make requests over social media report their issue solved quickly.
• 42% of consumers expect response within 1 hour.
• 17% of consumers will leave you aaer first negaDve experience, and 85% will leave aaer three strikes.
• 59% will switch to other brands if they perceive them as having beAer service.
Rising ExpectaDons • Customers didn’t always expect customer service responses online, but saw as a plus.
• No response can now be very harmful to a brand.
Unanswered Complaints
• In 2011, approximately 70% of complaints to brands on TwiAer went unanswered. – It is esDmated that this number has not significantly improved since.
“If you’re not engaging customers during the en7re product life cycle through social media, you’re missing out. Because someone else will.” -‐ Dennis Stoutenburgh President, ILD Corp.
Mind Your Tone
• Generic responses have become unacceptable.
• Responses must be personal, empatheDc. • The “right” tone may depend on your brand. – Humor is oaen appreciated, but tread lightly.
How to Go About It
1. Search for your company name or keywords for your target. – Helps stay alert of uprising issues and new leads.
2. Have another locaDon to direct customers to so you can beAer serve them.
3. Respond quickly. – All about convenience for consumers, who love brands they feel listen to them.
4. Answer every possible quesDon you can. – Consumers become brand loyal, who then become brand ambassadors.
5. Be specific. – ‘We’re sorry to hear about your experience’ probably won’t go far.
6. Fix poor service of the past. – Keep complaints from going viral.
7. Update consumers on improvements. – Take it to the next level by engaging with consumers even when they’re content.
8. Provide real, viable soluDons. – Be prepared to idenDfy the issue and offer a realisDc soluDon to that customer.
9. Show appreciaDon. – CelebraDng your customers can help build buzz.
10. Be proacDve. – Don’t wait for complaints, be thoughmul and keep the essence of the brand on the forefront.
Dell
• 2010: Opened social media command center to all employees, regardless of job.
• 2011: Trained more than 25,000 employees in “social listening.” – Who now monitor thousands of company social menDons in mulDple languages.
Domino’s
• Viral video harmed brand in 2009. • Launched campaign to analyze public opinion.
• Made company-‐wide changes (new recipes, reaching out on social media, and acknowledging mistakes.)
• Saw a 14% increase in sales immediately aaer.
American Airlines
• Turned to social media to manage the crisis of a system-‐wide near shutdown during Superstorm Sandy.
• Now have a response rate of 94%, are rated as one of the highest U.S. brands in “social devoDon.”
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