When you’re in charge of managing a Facebook page, Twitter profile, or other social media profile for your company, you have the always fun, and sometimes far-reaching responsibility of being your company’s voice in the social media sphere.
Assuming the identity of a corporation online can be a great opportunity to grow an online community, and to interact with people and other companies at the same time. Social media management, particularly on the Facebook and Twitter platforms, is also a great opportunity to showcase your excellent customer service skills.
If you think that social media doesn’t have a customer service component, there isn’t a nice way for me to say this—you’re wrong.
As a social media manager, whether by default as a small business owner trying to build the social presence of your company, or by position as someone hired to do so, social media managers have the opportunity to take advantage of valuable customer service opportunities because:
Whether you have a visible social media profile focused on promoting your company under your own name, or you use the company’s name, as a social media manager you will become, over time, the face to the name, so to speak of your company online. Customers will get used to (and come to expect) your online persona, your syntax, and anticipate the types of post and tweets that you make on behalf of your company.
When a customer reaches out via social media to your company, they reach out to you. You have the first opportunity to respond to them and make sure that they receive the answers that they are looking for.
When customers have questions, you may not always have the answer, but the chances are very good that you have an idea of who in your company does. This segues nicely into our next point.
If the idea of an angry customer directing angry words at your company, and by extension, you, makes you nervous, it’s time to toughen up. Social media managers understand that customers are more likely to be vocal when they are upset, as opposed to pleased with a company, product, or service.
When angry, frustrated, or otherwise upset customers express their feelings via social media (and they will) the best thing that you can do for your company is to respond as quickly as possible. Even if you don’t know the answer to their question or what the best solution to their problem is right away, you can at least send a quick message to them acknowledging that you received their message and will get back to them as soon as you have the answer.
On social networking sites, particularly Facebook, you have the ability to know the name (or at least the social media handle) of the person that you are talking to. Since you have this information, why not use it? Address the person by name, as in “Aura, thanks for your inquiry. We will check into this and get back to you.” It only takes a few seconds to type a name, but the message that it sends to the customer that you (as in the company) are personally interested in helping them, goes a long way towards fostering the kind of customer service reputation that your company needs in order to stand out from the competition.
If you want to know what your customers think about your products or company, use your social media channels to ask them. I’ve seen many of our Miva Merchant storeowners do this by posting up product prototypes and asking their Facebook fans to vote for their favorites, and asking for feedback on new products.
People like social media because it gives them the ability to interact with one another, and with their favorite businesses and brands. View your social media interactions with your fans, followers, and customers as positive experiences, even when dealing with people who have less than positive things to say about your company. Remember, every interaction is a chance to present your company in a positive light.