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Using Social Media for Customer Service

With the growth of social media it’s increasingly common for rates and booking enquiries to come through social media channels like Facebook.

People want an immediate and accurate response to their enquiries and social media channels like Facebook excel at providing a simple and rapid method of communication.

Research has shown that businesses that actively engage with their clients and answer queries have more satisfied clients, boosting loyalty which it turns drives sales.

How can you use social media as part of your customer service and sales strategy?

Respond as Rapidly as Possible

When clients reach out to a business over social media they expect a rapid reply. If they have a problem or complaint and you leave them waiting then you’ll aggravate them, making a bad situation worse.

Ideally you should respond to any direct message within and hour or, better yet, in real time. To do that we find it useful to have prepared responses for common queries so we can provide prompt and accurate answers. Keep the address of key website pages handy so you can direct people to the information they are looking for.

If you’ve not engaged a social media manager then a team member should be made responsible for the page and monitor it for activity. Turn on browser desktop notifications so you’ll get an instant prompt when there’s activity or you receive a message. Those with smartphones and tablets can also use the Facebook Page app to fields any comments and queries whilst on the move.

Be Personal

We all want to be treated like individuals. We want to feel like you care about us and that were not just a number.

Personalise each of your messages. Use your name and address the client by theirs or by their social handle to help build rapport.

Be friendly and informal to put them at ease. Even add a little humour if it’s appropriate. Let the personality of your business shone through. Don’t forget basic grammar and spelling though as you still need to be professional.

Like Makes Like

We tend to like and trust those people who are similar to us.

If you can echo the language and tone of your clients they will be more likely to accept and emphasise with your messages.

Be Honest and Upfront

We’re all human and we all make mistakes. If you do make a mistake it’s best to just own up to it.

Be open and clear on what went wrong and what you’re doing to rectify the problem. If you do, clients are much more likely to be forgiving.

Don’t Feed the Trolls

It’s inevitable that you will occasionally be visited by trolls, people who enjoy being disruptive and causing trouble online.

How do you deal with them?

  • Be on the lookout for them but be sure not to confuse them with people who have a genuine complaint.
  • Be polite. Trolls delight in provoking a response but don’t give them the satisfaction and remain calm and polite.
  • Block and report genuine trolls so that they can no longer post on your account and no one else can see their inflammatory remarks.

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