26 Feb Customer Service & Twitter
A while back I ordered a kit from an online store; when it arrived in the mail they’d forgotten to include the patterns! I sent them an email explaining the situation and within a day or two they responded and e-mailed me the .PDFs. I was a satisfied customer, but what if my e-mail had bounced back or they didn’t respond to me in a timely fashion? When the phones are down, the shop is closed, or the e-mail inbox is full, what’s a customer to do?
Increasingly, customers have been using @ mentions on Twitter to get their attention. Any time a user references your account in a tweet using the @ symbol in front of your username, you are notified – and once the ball is in your court, it’s time to let your top-notch customer service do the talking!
The immediacy of Twitter provides both parties in this equation with distinct advantages:
1. Problem is resolved quickly – sometimes only in a couple of tweets.
2. Responding to customer service issues in a public forum shows you care
3. Customers will feel like you are more available to them
4. You will both save time and money
The following thread of tweets is a good example of these points:
yarnyjane
@sampleyarnstore I’ve been trying to call your shop all morning, need to speak to a human please- my order needs to be adjusted and sent out!
20 Dec Favorite Retweet Reply
yarnyjane
@sampleyarnstore please respond!
20 Dec Favorite Retweet Reply
sampleyarnstore
@yarnyjane Can you let me know the order # and I’ll see what I can do? Our shop is closed but I may be able to help.
One more note: Be sure you respond to customer feedback and comments as soon as possible to maintain your stellar reputation in cyberspace, making the immediacy of social media work for you! Just as the viral aspects of social media can boost your sales and visibility, an unhappy customer whose needs are not addressed in an appropriate manner can have the reverse effect. Before things spiral out of control, be sure you have responded to comments and complaints to address your customers’ needs.
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