Meeting your customer where they are at has arguably never been easier. The average person in 2020 spent 145 minutes a day on social media. This may not be great news for mental health, but it’s pretty good news for marketers locating their customers.
In addition to spending time online, there are 1 billion messages exchanged between people and businesses every month on Facebook Messenger, and 70% of people expect to message businesses more in the future for customer service questions. As customer expectations increase for businesses’ interaction on social media, it’s essential to review your operations.
So how does your current social media strategy cater to customer service? Is your business actively engaging and responding to its customers?
Below we’ll go through best practices for social media customer service.
Respond and Respond Quickly
The first order of business is to respond to all engagements across social media consistently. This can take time to get into a flow, but it’s worth it. It’s worth it because not all companies make a point to do this. This tactic can set you apart from competitors.
It’s important to note that people who are engaging and asking your business questions online are potential customers or current customers. If you don’t answer them, they will move on to your competition. Responding respectively and in a timely manner demonstrates that you have great customer service and that you care about your customer.
The second order of business is ensuring that your responses are quick. Customers expect to be responded to quickly, and social media platforms can help you do this. Instagram has a feature called Quick Replies, where you can pre-answer frequently asked questions. Facebook has a feature called Instant Replies, where you can send a canned message to all initial messages. While it’s impossible to be online 24/7, make sure to set customer expectations accordingly to what you can offer.
Spark a Conversation
Customer service doesn’t just have to mean answering questions. It’s any form of being friendly online. This means engaging and reacting to what your customers are posting or on the issues that both of you care about. What conversations will make your customers feel more connected to your brand?
Handle Negative Comments
When faced with negative comments, it’s not a one-size-fits-all answer to solve the issue. But there are a few tips that can help. Respond quickly, be polite, and personalize your message. Next, take the conversation off of social media. Follow up with the customer in DM’s or ask for an email address so you can solve the problem properly.
Consider a Separate Handle for Customer Service
Another strategy that’s worked for brands is to create a separate account for customer service. For example, Hootsuite created @Hootsuite_Help that is run by their support team. This strategy helps to filter service issues and motivate the right people to solve problems.
Make sure to call this out on your main social channels so customers can find it. This way, customers are aware of where to reach out on social media for support.
As social media grows, so do business strategies and capabilities on the platform. The future of customer service is online. If you need any ideas or help with social media strategy and best practices, head to Stellapop Consulting, we’re happy to help!
See Also:
How to Drive Sales with Instagram Shopping
Data Gold Mines: Making the Most Out of Your Business’s Social Data
