Last month I wrote about the opportunities for marketers and contact management centers alike to take advantage of communicating with their customer-base through social media outlets. Whether it's a general conversation about the brand or actual customer service provisioning, use of the medium is obviously becoming mission critical.
But just as social media presents another channel for customer service, it is important to recognize that the "conversation" is two-way. In other words, either you ensure successful customer service or the customer will start the conversation for you....and not with you.
Even the most customer-concious companies will occasionally raise the customer's ire with a faulty product, an incomplete shipment or an incorrect invoice. But it's how you respond to those age-old adversities that will keep the conversation from going global.
Before social media, you could count on your frustrated customers bending the ear of a customer service rep, and with thorough training and skill, he or she was able to resolve the problem and/or de-escalate the issue. Today however, if those interactions aren't handled properly, and sometimes even before they are brought to your attention, the frustrated customer can begin a conversation with the world about how poor your service was.
Whether you're engaging your customers via social media or not, beware the presence of the "Social side of customer care," and your customer's means to share their experiences. There is no replacement for high-quality customer care in the fight to keep the conversation on your side.
Procall has answers. We're ready; it's your call!!
