Thoughts On Customer Service & Social Media

The power of Social Media is never more apparent than in customer service. For the business: from the very basic use of Social Media to research a potential customer or vendor; to reaching out to customers, to researching potential employees or investors; the uses are endless. But for the customer, the uses are very powerful indeed, especially when it comes to utilizing Social Media to elicit a response when it seems as if none is given.

One of the more recently famous examples of the use of Social Media to elicit a response from a company occurred when a guitarist discovered that his instrument was broken by United Airlines baggage handlers. The customer, Dave Carroll, a professional musician, fought with indifferent customer service representatives for literally months; finally, United did decide NOT to compensate Carroll for the over $3,500 guitar that was broken. Frustrated, Carroll wrote and performed a song about the incident and the United Airlines customer service indifference and posted it to YouTube giving it the title: 'United Breaks Guitar'. In the first 3 weeks of the posting, the video got over 4 million views; since it's posting, it has received over 12 million views.

Had United simply paid Carroll for the damaged guitar, it would not have cost them millions in lost revenue, the cost of responding to the bad PR (which went viral on EVERY news channel) and damage to their reputation that is probably beyond cost calculation. Even more amazing, United NEVER paid attention or learned from their other Social Media incidents from others complaining about poor customer service. 

Poor customer service, unfortunately, is more the norm than it is the occasional occurrence. But with Social Media, the negative impact of poor customer service has taken on a whole new dimension. Typically, poor or indifferent customer service went virtually unnoticed as the tales of woe had to travel by word of mouth which has a limited reach and can be easily controlled by a typical advertising budget. Social Media suddenly extends this once limited reach and makes the complaints almost instantaneous. Therefore, organizations must adapt the way they approach customer service. It has become more than just reacting; it has become more about managing and responsiveness.

So, how does an organization use Social Media to benefit their business and their customer service levels?

1. Manage your Online Reputation - This sounds a lot more difficult that it is; all it takes is some careful analysis of what is going on around your name/brand. Simple steps include: thanking customers by name for 'Liking' your page (tag them too - this is important); responding to positive posts or tweets directly, reward customers for positive feedback (but do it privately; do I really have to state why?). Respond to ALL negative comments; but first do a little research, there are always going to be the chronic complainers who always try to get something for nothing. BUT, this is important, treat each complaint diligently keeping the customer in the loop the entire way. Keep in mind, in the Social Media world, you are not just replying to the person posting, but replying to EVERYONE that is watching! So, by not responding right away, you are showing everyone that you have poor service.
2. EVERY business is a target for complaints on Social Media - Remember, Social Media is now the great equalizer, people who felt they never had voices, now have BIG voices that can be heard across the globe. So if you think your brand is not big enough to get a hit on Social Media, think again.
3. MINE Social Media - Mining Social Media can bring about great rewards for your organization. When Clam Case saw the YouTube video about the damaged guitar, they immediately posted a video that showed their case resisting damage. The lesson of someone else's pain being your gain is especially true with Social Media. Monitor complaints about your competition; these are opportunities!
4. Always be the BIGGER person - The old adage of the customer is always right has never been more true than with Social Media! You will NEVER win an argument by quoting policies and procedures through Social Media. You will ALWAYS look like the big bad corporation trying to stick it to the man. Better to just make the situation right! And, don't be afraid to ask for a little recognition from the customer. That is referral gold!

Every issue you tackle through Social Media is a learning experience, not only for your organization but for your customer as well. Poor front line customer service (through phone, fax or email) will always yield angry Social Media outbursts. The moral of the story here, do not let the issue escalate into a Social Media nightmare; handle it in the front line and let Social Media be your accolades!