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Internet Marketing Marketing
Twitter for Customer Service 101
Offering customer service is certainly not the easiest job in the world. It means that one must face one’s own weaknesses, accept these weaknesses and mistakes and rectify them as soon as possible. Providing customer service also means a company has to ensure that they are available at all times and are not elusive. While it is a great way to build a company’s image by offering great customer service, making a customer wait, not resolving the problem immediately or showing that you may lack empathy lead to disastrous consequences. Twitter is increasingly being used to offer customer service, as an adjunct to telephonic service. Sometimes, companies offer customer service solely on Twitter. Here are the most important reasons why Twitter is such a great platform to offer customer service
- Twitter is Cost Effective and Requires no Installations
- Twitter costs no money and is free, and can be used by a lone customer service representative if you are a small company. In fact, one does not need to install any software or hardware. All that one needs is a freelance contractor who knows how to talk wittily and sympathetically.
- Twitter Reduces Friction
- Twitter helps companies to resolve problems without friction. This friction is usually caused when customers are put on hold when they call or when the customer service executive speaks in a foreign accent. If the problem that one is talking about is small, it can be resolved in just a tweet. If not, the customer can be prodded to call a certain number of continue to conversation through direct messaging.
- Spread of Goodwill
- Each time a customer is satisfied, he or she will thank you, and will use your official Twitter handle to express their gratitude for resolving their problem. This can be viewed by other customers and you can ensure that goodwill against your business or company will be built over a period of time.
- Easy Monitoring
- Twitter also ensures that a company can monitor its presence on social media. If somebody does not have a nice thing to say about your company or business, it provides you food for thought to improve on that area. In fact, using Twitter as a medium for customer service can result in some serious soul searching within an organization.
- Twitter Is Viral
- As discussed earlier, your presence will be noticed each time you tweet to disgruntled customers. When they end the conversation satisfied that their problem is resolved, other customers become aware of your company’s presence. Twitter customer service then has a viral effect on spreading the good word. Companies and businesses can utilize their Twitter customer service accounts to retweet comments made by satisfied customers and also to highlight your strengths and weaknesses.
- Removes Opacity and Barriers between Customers and Companies
- Twitter reduces any sort of opacity that might exist between a company and its customers. All that a customer needs to do is send a 140 character message to the company, and the message shall have reached. This increased transparency and availability leads to greater customer satisfaction and increased loyalty when it comes to using your products and services.
- Increasing Engagement
- Another important factor one must consider when talking about Twitter customer service is engagement. There is no better alternative to Twitter when it comes to engaging audiences and striking up conversations with potential customers. Twitter can be a very powerful tool in solving customers problems, recognizing your strengths and weaknesses, reducing costs, increasing efficiency and finally, increasing profits and revenue.Among these fundamental qualities of Twitter, here are the most important reasons why companies must take Twitter more seriously when it comes to offering customer service:
- It reduces time and increases the speed of problem resolution.
- Helps companies to personalize communication and offer a human face to the company. It can be used as an opportunity to show that instead of being a cold business, a company is actually warm, humane and understanding.
- Twitter offers confidentiality, in the form of direct messages. Sensitive information can be communicated through direct messages by asking your customer to follow you at least temporarily.
- Twitter can be a great hunting ground when it comes to looking for possible and new customers.
- Twitter is decentralized and democratic no matter which way one looks at it.
- Twitter is free, reduces HR-related expenses and boosts a company’s image.
It is no wonder then that most companies have begun to offer customer service online via Twitter. This trend will only continue and is expected to increase dramatically in the next couple of months.
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