With the advent of the Internet and more recently, social media sites that utilize user-generated content (think Twitter and Facebook), these two components have become irrevocably linked.  Poor customer service has always been a dangerous proposition for companies but social media sites can single-handedly turn a minor blunder into a PR nightmare of epic proportions.  If a loyal patron is unhappy about the awful customer service he or she received, they can instantaneously spread the word to the masses.  In fact, a single negative Twitter or blog post can have a devastating effect on a company, especially small, community-based businesses.  While you cannot directly control what consumers say about your brand, you can leverage social media to your advantage.

Companies that fully take advantage of social media take the time and effort to connect with their customers through such channels (Mozy internet storage and Zappos.com are perfect examples).  Moreover, they do so compellingly well.  They continually engage customers, those satisfied as well as disgruntled ones.  They take the time to directly address customer concerns, remedy dissatisfactions, and tactfully correct inaccurate information about their brand, product, or service.  Social media provides a personified voice for businesses large and small – one that can place them in favorable light in a consumer-laden environment where they would otherwise go unheard.

It should be every company’s top priority to provide customers with a high-quality customer service experience – this can be achieved significantly quicker and more effectively through social media.  You may just find people are less interested in your minor gaffe and more impressed and pacified by how quickly, diplomatically, and professionally you handled a trivial complaint.

This entry was posted on Monday, August 3rd, 2009 at 4:12 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.