Customer Service Tip: Top 5 Techniques to Improve Customer Service Experience Via Social Media

Online, October 1, 2013 (Newswire.com) - Many businesses nowadays, regardless of size, have started taking advantage of social media networks to boost their customer service. Undeniably, your ability to assist customers via their chosen platform is crucial to your success. As social media continues to get bigger, so does the importance of getting on board and set to participate in the conversation. To help you, below are top 5 techniques to improve customer service experience via social media:

1. Take orders via social media- Virtually everyone is on Facebook and or Twitter, including many of your customers. And most of them prefer ordering through them instead of picking up the phone and waiting for someone to answer. Be sure to utilise these two major social media channels to improve your revenue and ease of order-taking. This also applies for booking appointments and reservations and or enquiring about your products and services. Don't forget to assign someone to manage your Facebook and Twitter accounts so that all requests and enquiries are answered on time.

2. Use social media to educate customers - Customers don't only want to be served and accommodated. They also want to be informed so they can make a wise decision when purchasing your products/services. As most customers are highly-visual people, they'd certainly appreciate useful and interesting pictures, how-to guides and infographics from your company. Pinterest and Instagram are an appropriate platform for those.

3. Utilise social media to send messages out instantly - Bad weather, natural calamities and accidents can easily ruin a smooth business transaction. Customers would usually demand for immediate answers during these predicaments. Social media channels allow you to communicate important announcements and messages to the masses on a real time basis, most especially when every minute counts.

4. Respond to complaints - No complaint should be overlooked, particularly now that tweets, posts and reviews are widely available for the entire cyber universe to see (and believe). Address complaints and negative comments promptly and professionally (even though they can be unreasonable sometimes). Doing so also shows that your business truly cares for its customers' concerns and welfare. This can also give your company a great opportunity to shine even in the midst of criticism. Be sure to validate claims and know when to take the conversation offline to find agreeable resolution like when offering a discount or freebie.

5. Listen and learn via social media - Facebook and Twitter are great channels to listen and learn what your customers/prospects want and require from you or your industry. Use hashtags to look for mentions of your brand or keywords. Pay attention and take notes about the good, the bad and the ugly and use them to improve your products/services and customer service experience.

If properly implemented, social media can help your company improves your customer service experience and overall business operations. However, if done in poor taste, your flaws are public for the world to see. Just keep in mind these tips above so you can leverage social media to your advantage.

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