Let’s face it. Brands we love don’t always get it right – but nor do we, as marketers. Perhaps this is such a universal problem on account of the fact that customer service seems to be a dying art, and basically nobody seems to care. How are these things related? Well, the ignorance of such care as part of a healthy marketing strategy really is crazy in this day and age – good customer service does all the talking for itself.
When Customer Service Goes Wrong…
When customer service goes wrong, it can be as much a deterrent from repeat business as a good marketing campaign is in attracting it. 24% of people stopped using a service in the last year because they were so horrified with service that they received. This tells you a lot, mostly that you don’t want to mess things up and lose such a huge chunk of your business.
We Are All Consumers!
Why not think about this in real people terms. You’re a consumer, too, no matter who you are, and what you do. The last time you were annoyed with a brand, what did you do? Tell the bored looking checkout girl that you’d “never shop here ever again”? Or perhaps you stormed out? Some people even go that extra step further and make telephone calls, or email. According to this infographic, people often aren’t reading emails from disgruntled customers. This is a shocking revelation, highlighting how much work needs doing in these areas. All of these methods matter, and can sometimes get your point across, but none so much as venting on social media. Now, to a social media marketer, this is the absolute headache of the industry. People complaining, bringing often ill informed opinions to the forefront of people’s attention.
Shouldn’t I Just Ignore People Complaining On Twitter?
You should never, ever ignore them. Sure, you might feel like telling people to get lost, or that they’re liars, or to try some other gullible company, after they’ve tweeted some form of insult about your brand. But, more often than not, there’s an underlying concern about their attitude that you should address. Now, the rules still apply here. People shouldn’t abuse or be offensively rude, here. But nor can you. You have to take into account what your customers are saying, and work to resolve the situation. In many cases, you’ve done something wrong. Maybe not you DIRECTLY, but you’re the face of the company when communicating with the public, so take some responsibility!
Why Should I?!
Oh, why? Quite simply put, if people aren’t getting their desired service and ultimately responses in reference to that in stores, via email, or on the telephone, they’ll resort to social media. Some don’t even bother with the other steps anymore. They know that social is a quick way to get what they want, because they know how public their complaints will be.
Remember…
Before you start condemning that and saying you won’t bite, remember that these people are your customers. Sometimes you have to compromise, and often, the saving grace, no matter how bad you did or did not mess up, is how you redeem yourself. We recommend you do it with efficiency, appreciation and respect. Social media marketing and customer service are practically synonymous, and you shouldn’t attempt to perfect one without the other. Everyone makes mistakes; just don’t make your public handling of them yet another to add to the list.
Customer Satisfaction Is Key – An infographic by the team at DMC Software