 Social media has become a mainstream communications tool for consumers. The results of Convergys’ 2011 UK Customer Scorecard Research found that 57 per cent of UK consumers have Facebook or Twitter accounts, if not their own blog, and 42 per cent of UK consumers have a smartphone with a data plan.
UK organisations have a clear opportunity. They can use these social media channels to identify customer problems, build trust, and build communities of loyal followers. Customers are becoming more vocal about brands, organisations, and experiences online. It is increasingly important that UK companies embed social listening into their customer service as well as into their marketing activities.
The impact of social media: social media amplifies poor experiences
Consumers have always shared their bad experiences with others, but social media has an amplifying effect. Convergys’ recent UK research suggests that 83 per cent of consumers who had a bad experience told friends or colleagues, and of these, 16 per cent used social media as one way to vocalise their dissatisfaction.
There is a significant multiplier effect in the social media channel. A traditional conversation might reach a handful of people for example, but a Facebook post could easily reach hundreds.
Building an effective social media strategy: from cacophony to conversation
Negative commentary can have a real impact on a company’s bottom line. Convergys’ research found that 76 per cent of those who read friends’ negative social media posts said that they avoided or stopped doing business with a company as a result.
Responding to queries before they escalate is a real challenge. Twitter revealed that there were over 25 billion updates on its social media site in 2010, and according to a Penn State study, 20 per cent of these related to brands or products. Companies must be able to move from decision to action quickly. Having the facility to capture events during interaction, evaluate policies relating to these events, and identify the best course of action can be the difference between an effective response and a detrimental response.
Because the sheer amount of content produced on social networks is enormous, sorting the actionable subject matter can seem like a daunting task. For example, of a sample of 25,000 posts received by a brand, it may be necessary to action as few as 350 of these. As such, being able to identify the potentially damaging and actionable social media updates in real time is of critical importance.
Integrating new listening channels: a technological solution
Driving a successful customer centric social media campaign relies upon an intelligent amalgamation with other customer service metrics, such as service history, lifetime value, and purchase value.
A company may choose to interact through a remote or physical presence, or through an automatic response. With customers using a more diverse mix of channels on their first attempt at contact, including via the website or email, it becomes increasingly important for organisations to enable consistent multichannel interaction.
The sheer volume of social media traffic dictates that organisations need to implement technological solutions to provide a more proactive and personalised customer experience.
Through the intelligent application of technology, organisations can integrate customer service interactions into their existing workflow, maintain customer records, and escalate issues as required within an organisation.
The real promise of social media as a customer service solution goes beyond resolution of customer issues, however. Social media ultimately offers companies the opportunity to leverage insight to reinforce existing customer relationships, drive retention, and attract new customers.
David Lopes
Director of technology and business development
Convergys
Related call centre articles
Neil Martin offers his top tips for writing social media content and Simon Robinson outlines why cross-channel customer communication is growing in importance.
Related call centre products and solutions
Customer Experience Management
Customer Interaction Management
Customer Management Consultants
Intelligent Desktops
| 
