Best practices for social customer care: which ones to follow so as not to make mistakes

Social networks are of great importance to businesses today, as that's where customers spend time and want to receive information. Do you know the best practices for social customer care?

Being found on social platforms and, above all, responding quickly and comprehensively, earns critical points with customers.

Customer management has indeed changed. It is no longer limited to a few practices at the time of purchase, but concerns requests and assistance before, during and after the purchase. If the customer is satisfied with the assistance received, he or she will likely become a repeat customer and may well introduce the brand to other consumers. 

There is no better advertisement!

But what are the tools and solutions that help you manage customer service on social networks?

To create a social customer care service that works, you need to understand social media and exploit its full potential. In addition to the strategy and the organizational aspect, there are also best practices for social customer care that you ought to implement in order to avoid being overtaken by the competition. 

Social media customer service: why do you have to manage it?

Customer care social

Modern consumers no longer use the phone to receive information, but want to obtain this online. 

A social media customer service involves assistance through social networks, from Facebook to Instagram to Twitter. 

Today, every single company should be present on social networks. To find out why, it is enough to consider that:

  • 80% of consumers prefer to use social networks to interact with brands. In this way, a one-on-one relationship is created between company and customer.
  • Consumers want swift answers using practical and quick channels, such as social networks.
  • On social media, the cost of solving a problem, both in economic and time terms, is lower.
  • Users who receive excellent support on social media are also willing to spend the extra money and recommend the brand more frequently.

Companies need to be found in the right place and at the right time by customers. That place is on social networks. But it's not enough to be there. You also need to ensure a great experience and solve customer problems with prompt assistance.

In this article, we will look at the 7 rules to follow to provide great customer service through social networks.

7 best practices for a good social customer service

The web, and increasingly social networks, are the preferred channels for users. Consumers flock to Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Pinterest looking for products or services and want to find answers to their questions without changing platforms.

Here's what you need to consider before landing on social: 

  1. Pay attention to what you promise. Do not create unattainable expectations amongst users, because this is highly counterproductive. The customer will feel cheated and abandon you, perhaps even leaving a negative review. 
  2. Track customer data. If a user has interacted with your social customer care in the past, you already know this person’s behavior and needs. In this way, you can customize the service. 
  3. Create points of contact and follow up with customers after the sale. Following the sale, creating points of contact with customers allows them to appreciate your care and interest in their needs, transforming a long-distance relationship into a personalized, more human and palpable relationship. 
  4. Don't underestimate response time. Speed ​​of response is critical. In fact, customers expect a response within an hour. One solution to this problem is to implement a chatbot that responds in real time and without delays. 
  5. You have to be where your customers are. Before throwing yourself into social customer care, you need to understand which social channel your target customer uses the most. Better to be present on a few social networks and manage them well than to be everywhere and create dissatisfied customers. 
  6. Always listen to what your customers are saying. Your strategy must start with what your customers want. Collect comments and complaints in order to understand the type of problems that are raised by users. This information will help you plan and prepare your staff and resources. 
  7. Improve your brand image. Always respond with courtesy, attention and precision. Customers must get the feeling that they are always being listened to and that you are willing to do what it takes to make them happy.

Social networks are an opportunity, so be sure not to turn them into a disadvantage! Bad experiences, in fact, become excellent material to share on social spaces as a warning to others not to fall into the error of relying on a company unable to assist its customers.

Examples of social media customer service from which to take inspiration

Companies such as Amazon or Booking have invested a great deal in customer care services. These large companies have understood that it is the customer who is at the center of everything, being the only one who guarantees the success of the brand. 

In particular, Amazon has built a customer experience tailored to every customer. For each user, the company has a sort of card with all the data on this person, which allows for sorting results based on searches, suggesting other related products and building purchase packages on the basis of previous expenses. 

In this way, in addition to improving the customer experience, the volume of sales is increased.

Other innovations introduced by Amazon include: 

 

  • “Mobile-first” approach, or designing the user's journey from a smartphone;
  • Subdivision of products by categories to facilitate navigation;
  • Adding filters for products;
  • Constantly updating the customer on the status of orders, the arrival of new products and all other pertinent news. 

The interest of users must be continuously stimulated and the shopping experience must be gratifying and satisfying at 360°.

How to manage social customer care: do not leave customers unattended

In conclusion, whatever the point of contact with the customer, it is essential that the customer care service is always excellent. In this way, you will increase the possibility that a satisfied customer turns into a recurring customer and even a real ambassador.

Each company must design a personalized strategy and have staff suitably trained and prepared to better manage the service and provide adequate and structured answers.

We at We Are Fiber have implemented and optimized such performing solutions over time, catering for every need when it comes to social customer care.

If you have not yet implemented a support service, or if you want to improve what you currently have, request a free consultation now!

Contact us!

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