One big concern I hear all the time from small business owners using, or starting out to use, social media is about ‘talking to customers’ online. For some companies providing online customer service may be fairly easy to do, for others it is a whole different ball game.
I think most can have a mix of both – the traditional customer service but with some online service too – and of course it depends upon your company setup, resources, and availability. I have seen some companies make a note in their BIO on twitter that they do not provide support here – but sometimes you may get it.
There are privacy issues, and then, of course, the fear that others will hear about the bad things that can happen. In many cases, you may be asked to DM the company or provide an email where they can take the issue offline. As a customer looking for help, it is no matter to me how it is delivered, as long as I get the help I am asking for.
Today I was reading Brian Solis’ blog and there was a very good post about the social media customer service issues and how the changes in our world with the internet and the growth and use of social media really mean there are many changes companies have to make including how they deliver and measure customer service.
I think it can be well summed up by this statement:
Fixing customer service is not the goal here. Improving customer service and delivering an integrated experience will not only help customers feel valued, but also establish a competitive advantage.
I encourage you to read the article in its entirety, it can be found here.
Is your company delivering any customer service using social media? How is that working for you, what are the positives and negatives you have experienced?