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One of the key findings of new research from ContactBabel is that only 16% of organisations currently see social media as a key customer service channel. Whilst businesses do recognise the need to move beyond simply 'monitoring' what happens on social media, it is clear that they are not yet geared-up to act on social media activity with anywhere near the same quality of customer service as offered through more traditional channels, such as telephony and email. There are a number of myths around social media that are holding companies back in integrating social media as a customer service channel.
Myth Number One: social media is a young person's game
The popular image of the 'typical' social media user is someone in their teens/twenties, using Facebook to communicate and share info with their friends ? probably over a mobile device. But, as Digital Surgeons reported at the end of 2010, only 53% of Twitter users and 37% of Facebook users are under 35 years of age. Companies must understand and act on the fact that it could be the over 30s ? those who are the most important to the majority of businesses ? that are the most active in social media.
Businesses must 'listen' to this group and have an understanding of how the brand is being discussed by them. Given the strong presence of over 35 year-olds on Twitter and Facebook, it's likely that a company's most influential consumers fall into this demographic. When a customer makes contact with the contact centre, service representatives should not only have access to that customer's demographic information, but also the individual's social activity and relationships, in order to maximise the value of that interaction.
Myth Number Two: social media is just another outbound channel
ContactBabel finds that almost one fifth of companies view social media as 'just another outbound channel' to push information out to customers. In other words, for them it's simply a marketing tool to offer coupons, special offers and other company news to existing communities of customers.
Whilst outbound social media can help the customer service department by pushing out relevant information in order to reduce the number of calls into the contact centre, the reality is that social media has to be a two-way conversation between the company and the customer.
Yes, customers will vent frustrations and negative views through it and these issues should be listened to ? and acted upon ? quickly, and using the same channel.
Myth Number Three: social media is only for large contact centres
Large contact centres are indeed leading the way in their adoption of social media, but there is also a real advantage for smaller contact centres to look at this channel as a cheaper and more effective way to communicate with both existing and potential customers.
According to ContactBabel, 83% of small contact centres are using two or more social media channels, compared with just 67% of large. This shows that dealing with customers via social media doesn't necessitate a massive customer service operation.
Myth Number Four: social media as a customer channel is just for retailers
While the biggest users of social media are indeed retailers and outsourcers, the public sector, with its remit to be contactable and open with citizens, is certainly not being left behind with social media. Nor are the insurance and utilities markets. The ContactBabel research looked at a wide range of sectors and the number of social media channels they are currently using.
95% of the public sector and utilities organisations surveyed were using at least one social media channel, while 64% public sector and 40% of utilities bodies were using two social media channels to communicate with their customers. This research clearly shows that it's not just retailers who are using social media to communicate with customers. It can be used as a channel for any kind of organisation, provided they use it in the correct ways as outlined above.
Go where your customers are
So why should companies, across a range of markets, be putting time and effort into social media? The simple answer is ? because their customers are. Businesses must go where their customers are and social media is where more and more of them are. Consumers are talking online, looking for answers to queries about products or service, and the first place they look for such answers is social media.
One of the key findings of new research from ContactBabel is that only 16% of organisations currently see social media as a key customer service channel. Whilst businesses do recognise the need to move beyond simply 'monitoring' what happens on social media, it is clear that they are not yet geared-up to act on social media activity with anywhere near the same quality of customer service as offered through more traditional channels, such as telephony and email. There are a number of myths around social media that are holding companies back in integrating social media as a customer service channel.
Myth Number One: social media is a young person's game
The popular image of the 'typical' social media user is someone in their teens/twenties, using Facebook to communicate and share info with their friends ? probably over a mobile device. But, as Digital Surgeons reported at the end of 2010, only 53% of Twitter users and 37% of Facebook users are under 35 years of age. Companies must understand and act on the fact that it could be the over 30s ? those who are the most important to the majority of businesses ? that are the most active in social media.
Businesses must 'listen' to this group and have an understanding of how the brand is being discussed by them. Given the strong presence of over 35 year-olds on Twitter and Facebook, it's likely that a company's most influential consumers fall into this demographic. When a customer makes contact with the contact centre, service representatives should not only have access to that customer's demographic information, but also the individual's social activity and relationships, in order to maximise the value of that interaction.
Myth Number Two: social media is just another outbound channel
ContactBabel finds that almost one fifth of companies view social media as 'just another outbound channel' to push information out to customers. In other words, for them it's simply a marketing tool to offer coupons, special offers and other company news to existing communities of customers.
Whilst outbound social media can help the customer service department by pushing out relevant information in order to reduce the number of calls into the contact centre, the reality is that social media has to be a two-way conversation between the company and the customer.
Yes, customers will vent frustrations and negative views through it and these issues should be listened to ? and acted upon ? quickly, and using the same channel.
Myth Number Three: social media is only for large contact centres
Large contact centres are indeed leading the way in their adoption of social media, but there is also a real advantage for smaller contact centres to look at this channel as a cheaper and more effective way to communicate with both existing and potential customers.
According to ContactBabel, 83% of small contact centres are using two or more social media channels, compared with just 67% of large. This shows that dealing with customers via social media doesn't necessitate a massive customer service operation.
Myth Number Four: social media as a customer channel is just for retailers
While the biggest users of social media are indeed retailers and outsourcers, the public sector, with its remit to be contactable and open with citizens, is certainly not being left behind with social media. Nor are the insurance and utilities markets. The ContactBabel research looked at a wide range of sectors and the number of social media channels they are currently using.
95% of the public sector and utilities organisations surveyed were using at least one social media channel, while 64% public sector and 40% of utilities bodies were using two social media channels to communicate with their customers. This research clearly shows that it's not just retailers who are using social media to communicate with customers. It can be used as a channel for any kind of organisation, provided they use it in the correct ways as outlined above.
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Go where your customers are
So why should companies, across a range of markets, be putting time and effort into social media? The simple answer is ? because their customers are. Businesses must go where their customers are and social media is where more and more of them are. Consumers are talking online, looking for answers to queries about products or service, and the first place they look for such answers is social media.
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