Three Brands Using Social Media to Address Customer Issues

Social media tools make it easier for customer service professionals to identify and respond to customer issues. In fact, several companies are now using social media customer service to make current customers happy and attract new customers with their commitment to providing excellent service. If you are in need of social media tips for your company, look to these three major brands that are using social media customer service effectively.

Michele Masterfano, an assistant professor at Drexel University, says social media gives customers a bigger voice when they need help. Sending a short message on Twitter is much easier and less time-consuming than waiting on hold or penning a letter to a company executive. As a result, many companies are now using social media customer service to resolve complaints. Comcast has a Twitter account called "ComcastCares," which makes it possible for customer service representatives to connect with customers who are experiencing service issues. When customers complain about missed service calls or broken equipment, someone from Comcast responds. This gives customers a direct way to communicate with people who can get things done.

FedEx is a great example of a large company using social media customer service successfully. This gives customers an additional communication channel to use when they need assistance. Although FedEx uses social media, customer service as a marketing tool, representatives also use it as a customer service tool. Team members track mentions of the company across a number of social media networks, enabling them to respond almost immediately instead of making customers wait days for a response.

Members of the FedEx social media team say that companies working on using social media customer service should be authentic in their interactions with customers. They should also be willing to help customers without regard for their status. Some companies are quick to help celebrities and business executives who complain on social media networks, but they are not as quick to help regular customers. You should avoid this disparity if you are working on building your own social media customer service campaign.

Zappos has actually made social media customer service a part of its culture. Company representatives consider social media usage a good opportunity to connect with customers and network with other people. Zappos uses Twitter very effectively, as the company has nearly two million followers. Employees also use their own social media accounts to help customers and spread the word about the company.

Social media customer service is just one way to build relationships with your customers. It also gives you an opportunity to demonstrate your commitment to excellent customer service and turn bad publicity into good publicity via Facebook, Twitter, and other social media networks. Follow the social media tips published by these companies when creating your own social media customer service strategy.

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