Tips for Using Social Media for Customer Service

Social media is a term that is used to describe a broad spectrum of online communication. Unlike emails and one on one chats, social media is an open forum that can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection. It can be anything from podcasts to microblogs. Although social media was incepted for personal use, businesses started to embrace it. Rather than advertising over conventional medium like the newspapers and television and radio, businesses these days, use social media to interact with customers. If you own a business, here are some tips that will help you use social media for customer support.

Businesses expand by word of mouth, and Google is an example of this. You may have the best product out there and you may even make a huge profit by selling those products. What matters the most, especially on the long run is the good will of the customers and a loyal fan base. This can be achieved only by offering good customer service.

These days, when people have trouble with a product, they immediately rant about it over Facebook or Twitter or on their blog and this will scare existing and potential customers. Since there is no rule written in a book, you got to do everything within your means to control the damage.

Earning the trust of you customers

If you own a website or a discussion forum for your product and when someone posts about the issue they have, you need to get in touch with them as soon as possible. Resolving the issue should be your goal, but before you proceed, notify the customer that their issue is prioritized and that you are trying to find a solution. When you notify the customer, they will feel connected and be happy that someone is working on resolving their issue.

Keep it polite

Sometimes, a customer may want to access a feature that isn’t available with your product, or they may report a bug, at times like these, you need to calmly explain the technical limitations. While you are at it, always remember that social media is an open forum where anyone and everyone can see what’s happening. Even after resolving the issue or after explaining the technical limitations, the transcript is going to be live, so it is absolutely essential to keep calm.

Securing the customer’s data

There will be situations where you might require sensitive information from the customer. During these times, it is best to take the communication offline and initiate a private chat. The issue might be resolved, but the information that the customer gives can be used by others. You might have a great product and offer great service, but when personal and sensitive information are floating freely on your discussion forums, you will lose potential customers and even your existing customers are not going to be happy about it.

Have yourself available

Back in the 90s, a lot of businesses didn’t know the value of having a website. But now, things have changed, almost every business has a website and what matters the most is a way for the customers to reach you. When a customer has an issue, make sure they feel that they can reach you through your presence on the Web. Also, if it is a big business, have a dedicated team for customer service through social media. If it is a small business, be sure to give a time frame before which you can get back to your customers.

You need to show and advertise you presence on social media and make use of these tips to offer the best customer service possible.

Heather Protz, a freelance writer for www.usaheadlines.com – offers full home security to help protect your family, assets from burglary and other crimes.