Twitter Helps With Your Customer Service

In the age of constant connectivity, customer service is a round-the-clock activity. With a Twitter account, agents can meet your customers on their turf, in real time. By using Twitter strategically, you can reduce agents' workload and build a reputation for fast, responsive service.

Constant Monitoring

Before you launch your company Twitter account, consider the administrative load. If the account is left inactive or if customer tweets go unanswered, it can do more harm than good. To avoid this possibility, dedicate specific employees to monitor Twitter in shifts. Avoid the temptation to push the job onto an intern; instead, select people with a thorough knowledge of the business and products. Twitter monitors should provide fast answers and ensure that each customer is satisfied. Employees must also keep tabs on indirect references to the company by searching for key terms in the Twitter search engine.

Strategy

A company Twitter account does not automatically guarantee customer service success; you must also have a plan. When it comes to service, Twitter's public nature is its most important benefit. With a minimal investment, it allows you to reach the widest possible audience. Because customers can see the conversations between agents and other users, they may be able to get an answer without ever getting in touch. To facilitate transparency, your company can use hashtags. Request that users tag each question with a specific hashtag, and include that tag in all answers. When a customer clicks on the service hashtag, they will automatically see a history of all service-related tweets.

Authority

Using a Twitter account to provide service can only be successful if your employees have the power to provide solutions. When an employee must hunt down a supervisor to seek approval for each stage of a solution, the resulting time lag can sabotage Twitter's real-time nature. Before sending employees off to monitor your company's Twitter account, provide comprehensive training. Agents must understand the practical limits they have when addressing each customer's problems and know how much freedom they have to design unique solutions.

Personalization

Twitter is a highly personal medium that gives agents a unique opportunity to build informal relationships with customers. Agents can increase the feeling of familiarity with the company by paying attention to customer cues. They might read through past tweets to understand the situation better and refer to specific details in replies. If possible, agents should use the customer's name in the conversation. Most importantly, they must treat the exchange like an in-person conversation, including saying thank-you and following up after the initial resolution.

A Twitter account is not a total service solution, but it can be a useful tool. By creating a defined strategy and then giving your agents ample authority and autonomy, you can use Twitter to serve your customers in real time.

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