Social Media Marketing / Design / Princeton, NJ

Customer service and social media go hand in hand.  If you’re making use of social media for your business, you really can’t have one without the other.  It’s all in the name: social media.  As a digital ambassador for your brand, you should be treating people the same way online as you would treat them if they were in your shop or your office.  Make sure you’re doing right, and read on to find out how to provide excellent customer service through social media.

1. Be present, be available.  You wouldn’t leave potential customers unattended in your shop, and you would never leave the phones unattended - social media requires the same sort of dedicated attention.  Cultivate a similar presence on your social media channels.  Once you’ve set up your accounts and become accessible, you build credibility by staying present.  Be available to fans and followers, and keep tabs on what they’re doing and sharing.

2.  Stay in the know.  In addition to simply being present on social media, dig a little deeper!  Perform searches on Twitter, set up a Google alert for your brand, and monitor conversations across the internet.  What are people saying about your brand?  This is a huge learning opportunity!  Is someone paying you a compliment?  Thank them!  Is someone complaining about poor service?  Contact them.  Remember - bad news travels fast, and people love to voice their complaints on social media sites.

3.  Truly listen.  By acknowledging and addressing compliments & complaints in a public forum, you’re showing that you’re listening - and that goes a long way.  If you can tackle a complaint head-on, you show your confidence in your brand AND your respect for your followers.  (For an example of someone who handles complaints gracefully and publicly, check out the Twitter Stream of Newark, NJ city Mayor, Cory Booker.)