Social media has become so much more than a tool for marketers and brands to promote their products and services. It is now the number one channel where people turn to when they want to complain, talk to a company representative, review a product or shame a brand. With all of this in mind we need to be mindful how we react to our mentions across social media. Here are some ways that you can avoid customer service fails on social media.
Don’t block them, instead engage with them.
When you a negative review or comment about your brand on Facebook or Twitter it may be tempting to block that follower from your profile. However, learning to deal with these complaints in a professional way can be much more valuable to your brand in the long run. Ask the user to send you a direct mail on twitter or message you on Facebook. By taking the public conversation into a private space you are taking back control of how the communication is perceived by the public.
Don’t blame the customer
This is a given both on and offline. You won’t do anything positive for your brand by shouting back at the customer.
Don’t stay logged in after hours
Easily forgotten but crucial if you don’t want to get into trouble later. Imagine one of your staff is on a night out and decides to jump onto the company Twitter account. This is a big no no. Be sure to have a social media policy where you outline the rules relating to your branded social channels.
Don’t use automation carelessly
One automated tweet is a great idea if you are not a company with 24/7 support across your social platforms. Simply design a tweet to say “Thank you for your message we will respond within 24 hrs. If there is anything urgent you need help with please contact us on…”.
Don’t publish any misleading or inaccurate information
Be exact in the details that you distribute and list online. If you are outlining your opening hours, state the exact hours. Don’t pretend to offer 24 hour support when you don’t have the means to facilitate it.
Don’t pretend to be something you are not
It may be tempting to elaborate or tell some white lies about your services online as it is now easier than ever to push out vast amounts of all kinds of information. The best advice that we can give is to stick to what you know. Don’t risk being caught out in a lie or worse yet, giving the customer something to complain about. Don’t copy competitors for the sake of saying the same thing. Come up with unique ways to offer support and guidance for your clients at every stage of the user journey.
Don’t be afraid to show off your brand personality
What makes your brand different from others? You of course. Don’t forget that you and your staff are the sure way to present a different tone of voice to your online audience. Use colloquial phrases, tell jokes, be serious, show off, be kind, give the end reader and your customers a sense of your true personality by injecting it into your brand.
Don’t forget to refer people to your website
This may seem obvious but you would be surprised how many brands forget to include a call to action with their social posts. If you have detailed FAQ’s and customer service information on your website direct your customers back to your website to get the information and support they are looking for. This enables you to reuse the content that you have produced and also get the customer closer to your products and services.
For more digital customer service tips when using social media for customer service get in touch with us.
