Customer service is a universal concept. When you’re trying to get someone to hand you their money, it bodes well to be nice to them. Of course, that’s customer service at a very base level. It also involves cultivating an aura of friendliness and helpfulness around your business. That being said, just because you’re communicating behind a computer screen does not mean that things should be any different. Customer service on social media is a critical component of generating positivity around your brand that people will want to keep coming back to.
The case for customer service on social media
Social media has been a part of our daily lives for nearly two decades now. However, its relevance to consumerism—and the expectations consumers have from businesses on social media—has evolved over time. Whereas a decade ago it might have been more forgivable for a business to leave a direct Facebook or Instagram message unanswered, now (at least in our opinion) that is akin to not returning a customer phone call.
When communicating online, people also tend to get lazy in their correspondence in terms of grammar, spelling and general formality. Maybe it’s because it’s still a relatively “new” method of communication and specifically of conducting business—so the norms and standards have yet to be fully established. As we rely on social media more and more to carry out daily tasks, the need for some sort of protocol for customer service on social media heightens.
What we mean by customer service on social media
Put plainly, customer service is the way you and other representatives of your company come across to clients—and the effort you put in to making their experience with you a good one.
On social media, customers and potential customers communicate with your business page via direct messages, comments, tagging your page, sharing your posts, etc. How you conduct yourself in those communications is a form of customer service.
Our suggestions
Promoting good customer service on social media is easy! Here are a few of our suggestions.
Respond to messages in a timely manner.
You wouldn’t ignore a customer asking you a question in your store, so why would you do it on social media? Responding to direct messages and comments in a timely manner on social media should be a standard for your business.
Use polite and formal language.
Internet slang is a thing. But just like spoken slang words, there is a time and a place. Conducting business online is not that time or place. Address your customers on social media formally and respectfully.
Check your grammar and spelling.
Nothing makes you look more unprofessional than a misspelled word or a “they’re” when it should have been “there.” Yes, we all make mistakes, but check your grammar and spelling in social media communications to the best of your ability.
Give customers another option.
If a question or concern can’t be answered online, invite the customer to call you or come meet with you in person. Sometimes communicating online can get frustrating, and the last thing you want is frustrated patrons.
Express your thanks for positive feedback.
You would thank your customers for giving you a compliment in person, so be sure to share the love when they praise you on social media! Give a thankful response for a good review, a positive comment, or even a shared post.
Summary
Customer service on social media should be treated the same way you would extend customer service in any other interaction between your brand and your customers. Just because you are communicating digitally is no excuse for throwing all manners of etiquette and respect out the window. Don’t have time to manage your business’ social media? We’ve got you!
McNutt & Partners is a full-service advertising and digital marketing agency. Contact us today for your marketing needs! Call 334-521-1010, or visit our contact page.
