3 ways to use social media for great customer service

By Felicia Guthrie

In 2022, there are approximately 4.48 billion people worldwide who are currently using social media and just on Instagram, 90% of people follow a business. With that said, social media does a great job of connecting us to each other - and also to the brands we love.

As a business owner, you may be using social media to showcase your products and services but because it’s a great connector, it also gives you the opportunity to provide great customer service and great customer service will help you build stronger and longer lasting customer relationships.

Here are three ways that you can use social media to provide great customer service:

PUT THE SOCIAL IN SOCIAL MEDIA

What’s the point of being on social media if you’re not actually being social? If you’re on social media, you’ll likely receive some engagement – from likes, comments, direct messages, and more. No one likes feeling ignored (especially if they’re upset), so it’s best to reply to all user comments and messages – keep in mind that you’re also likely to get a few spam comments and messages as well. This also gives you an opportunity to learn what people love about your business, what they’re excited to try, and what you can work on. Two-way communication like this is a great way to build a relationship with your audience.

A great example is the fact that 77% of users on Twitter say they feel more positive about and connected to a brand when they respond to a tweet. A simple response will help you establish the foundation for a great customer relationship.

Beyond responding to comments and direct messages, don’t be afraid to like and comment on posts from your followers, influencers, and others – taking the extra step to reach out and engage like this also helps create and build relationships.

MAKE THINGS RIGHT

Let’s face it, there may come a time when someone has a negative experience with your products, services, or brand AND decides to voice that on social media. How you deal with that is important and you’ll want to deal with it in a timely manner.

If someone is frustrated with a product, service, or experience with your business – invite them to tell you about their experience in your inbox – this enables you to learn more about how others see your brand/products/services and it gives you an opportunity to turn things around. For example, if someone voices their disappointment in a comment on a post or in a Tweet, you can say something like, “Hi (name), thank you for bringing this to our attention. We’re sorry to hear this, please connect with us via DMs.” A disappointed customer doesn’t automatically mean you’ve lost them forever. Replying promptly and with empathy can be great for customer service and for building a positive customer relationship.

Again, if you want to provide great customer service, you want to make sure you deal with things quickly. 79% of consumers expect a response from brands on social media within 24 hours. In fact, nearly half of consumers (40%) expect a response within an hour! But talk can be cheap, so don’t just reply promptly, but act quickly too. For example, if a customer receives a defective product, make sure you send out a replacement quickly as well.

Here’s something to think about: Some businesses create specific customer care accounts on social media to deal with questions, concerns, or issues. BPerfect Cosmetics, for example, has their main account on Instagram and they have a  customer care account strictly for enquiries. You can use this account to streamline all your customer questions and concerns to one easy place.

FIND OPPORTUNITIES… AND TAKE THEM!

There are opportunities everywhere in life and in business... and with a little creativity you can find opportunities to provide great customer service. Let’s look at a few examples...

In 2017, Carter Wilkerson, then a teenager, tweeted the fast-food giant Wendy’s asking how many retweets he would need in order to win free nuggets for a year. The brand responded with “18 million.” Wilkerson took that challenge and ran with it – even creating his own hashtag, #NuggsforCarter. While he didn’t reach 18 million, his tweet did get a LOT of attention globally, and at the time, it broke the record for most retweeted tweet of all time with over 3 million retweets. Although he didn’t reach his goal, Wendy’s saw this as an opportunity. Not only did they give Wilkerson his year supply of nuggets, but in honour of his milestone, they also donated $100K to the Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption.

The next 2 examples are a bit more personal...

In 2020, I tweeted about a super popular ice cream brand. I mentioned how obsessed I was with their dairy free options and that I was picking up a few boxes weekly. Fast forward a little while and I receive a reply to direct message them. Once I reached out via Direct Messages, they told me that if I provided my name and full address, they’d send me some coupons so that I can stock up again. To my surprise, within a month I received enough coupons to get not one, not two, but TEN free boxes. I was beyond delighted.

In 2019, a Canadian brand I follow on social media was looking to invite select customers to their office headquarters for an event, although they have over 30 thousand followers, someone from their team reached out to me via my direct messages, to personally invite me to the event – which I sadly couldn’t attend. Later that same year, they again reached out to me via social media. This time, they told me they recognized how much I engage with the brand and wanted to send me a thank you. I was surprised and excited that they reached out and was wowed when I later opened a box full of goodies.

In both of these cases, I was already a happy customer and someone who engaged with their brand, BUT they saw an opportunity to go the extra mile and provide great customer service, which only made me want to support them more!

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