The ubiquitous nature of social media and its engagement potential has led companies to increasingly leverage these platforms for customer service purposes.
However, it raises the question – how much customer service should your social media accounts handle? To address this, we delve into statistical insights and industry best practices.
The Statistics: Social Media for Customer Service
Recent data suggest an increasing trend of customers turning to social media for service-related inquiries. According to a study by J.D. Power, 67% of consumers have used a company’s social media channel for customer service. Meanwhile, the Harvard Business Review states that customers who receive service on social media exhibit a 20-40% higher willingness to pay and demonstrate 15-20% higher loyalty than those who do not.
The Rationale: Why Social Media for Customer Service?
The preference for social media customer service can be attributed to its immediacy and accessibility. Sprout Social found that after a customer reaches out for support on social media, they expect a response within 4 hours, whereas companies typically respond in 10 hours. Moreover, 45% of consumers surveyed by American Express would abandon an online transaction if their queries or concerns were not addressed quickly.
But it can be hard to manage. Social media is, without a doubt, becoming the go-to for people to check out brands and ultimately question products or services – imagine hundreds of requests a day. It’s something companies like oktopost.com can help with, but there’s still the essential requirement to understand the growing need for interactions on social media.
Striking a Balance: Optimal Customer Service on Social Media
While the potential of social media as a customer service tool is evident, businesses must strike the right balance. It should be utilized as a part of an omnichannel service strategy rather than a standalone solution.
1. Be Present and Responsive: Consumers expect brands to be available on the platforms they frequent. Statista found that as of 2022, brands were only present on an average of 5 platforms, compared to users who were active on 8. Timely responses are crucial, with 33% of users surveyed by Edison Research indicating they would recommend a brand that offered a quick but ineffective response.
2. Leverage Automation Where Possible: Automating simple responses with bots can help manage volume and responsiveness. However, Gartner warns that by the end of 2023, customers will prefer to initiate 70% of self-service customer interactions via speech interfaces, reducing the dependence on text-based bots.
3. Maintain Consistency Across Channels: Social media should seamlessly integrate with other customer service channels. Aberdeen’s research found that companies retain an average of 89% of their customers when they have a strong omnichannel presence, compared to 33% for those with weak consumer engagement.
4. Invest in Training: Ensure your team is equipped to handle the unique challenges posed by social media customer service. Forrester found that 42% of service agents can’t resolve customer issues due to outdated user interfaces, disconnected systems, and multiple applications.
Social media has emerged as a significant customer service tool, demanding timely responsiveness and careful management. While it should not entirely replace traditional service channels, a balanced and integrated approach can lead to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.
