Dispelling Myths About Social Media

As social media networks gain in importance for companies, so do the myths and rumors about them. The three largest myths are (1) social media does not affect customer service; (2) there is no ROI (return on investment) for social media in customer service; and (3) “my customers aren’t on Twitter, so why should I care?”. To address these myths, consider the following:

(1.)  Social Media (SM) Does not affect Customer Service –

1. In the old days, people talked with 10-20 others about their experience with your company; today however, they communicate via SM with hundreds, or even millions, of others who will form opinions about doing business with you.
2. SM provides a great way to stay in tune with the pulse-beat of your customers. Intuitive businesses use SM feedback to address customer concerns, increase agent awareness, and complement their internal knowledge base and FAQ’s.

(2)  There is no ROI for SM in Customer Service – Thoughtful investments in SM will provide real opportunities for financial return, including:

1. Reducing the cost of sales and marketing; and
2. Building customer appreciation and brand loyalty; and
3. Reducing calls to the company, in some cases, up to 50%
4. Pulling in crowd-sourced information for your center’s knowledge management system – reducing handle time and improving first call resolution

(3.)  ”My customers aren’t on Twitter, so why should I care?” – Do a simple web search via Google to see what customers really think about your company. You may learn a lot.  Don’t shy away from bad reviews.  Embrace problems and squeeze them until you have a solution. Smart companies integrate the use of SM into their regular business practices, and develop Customer Advocates (go-to people) that monitor company participation and feedback.

Tip of the Week: Do a simple web search via Google. Type in the name of your company followed by the words “love”,  “hate” or “frustrated” and see what customers really think about your company.

CallTalk™ Caramels: Sweet Snippets from BenchmarkPortal’s Best CallTalk Episodes
This CallTalk Caramel was compiled and edited by Bruce Belfiore and Kamál Webb.  It was drawn from a CallTalk episode with Dr. Natalie Petouhoff, entitled “Social Media in the Call Center – Don’t Believe the Myths”.  To listen to the entire episode click the play button below: