Customer service centers are always seeking new and innovative solutions to improve customer relations. As social networking tools are being introduced, the industry has strategized about how to integrate these tools into the business environment. One social media site, Twitter, has risen to the top as a key customer communication–and therefore customer service–tool.
Twitter is simple: after registering with the service, you can write a “tweet,” or a 140-character message, which is then received by your followers. It can also be “retweeted” to their followers—and in this way some topics or tweets go viral, spreading across the Internet. There is also an “@reply” function, allowing a Twitterer to send a “tweet” directly to another user, although that tweet is still public. This can be a public relations boon for companies.
Twitter provides a snapshot of how customers are using your products, responding to your customer service, or otherwise chatting about your business. It also gives your customers a way to speak directly to your company with a compliment, complaint, need or question—without searching out an email address or spending time navigating a phone tree or sitting on hold. Perhaps more importantly, it gives your company a chance to respond directly, immediately and publicly.
One of Twitter’s most valuable benefits is the fact that it allows businesses to stay abreast of problems or complaints. Say a customer tweets a complaint about your product—which is actually much more likely, given the ease of Twitter, than returning to the store to complain or sending an email. What will you do? Let that information hang in the ether, or respond promptly and offer to replace the item or refund the customer’s money? This is an opportunity to make things right for one customer, but also to demonstrate your willingness to make things right to hundreds or thousands of customers who see that tweet.
Many companies have dedicated customer service Twitter accounts, while others have a staff of employees who each use a unique Twitter handle. For example, the wireless carrier Sprint has a number of Twitter accounts: @Sprint, @sprintnews, @SprintDeveloper and its customer care account, @sprintcare. Not long ago I had the opportunity to engage with @sprintcare. When I tried to send a text to a friend, unaware that the number I had stored for her in my phone was a landline and not a cell phone, I got a text from Sprint thanking me for using their “Text to Landline” service. Concerned that this might show up as a charge on my next wireless bill, I tweeted to @sprintcare, asking how much the service cost and telling them that my usage of it was by accident.
The response? “It’s $100 per instance. No, just kidding, it’s a free service. But they will get a voicemail in a funny voice.” Not only did @sprintcare respond—within minutes, I might add—but whoever’s handling the tweets over there has a sense of humor. In fact, we actually sent a few more tweets back and forth joking about the situation. My issue was resolved, and it was—dare I say fun?
Sprint knows how to handle customer service through Twitter. They’re engaging with customers on a personalized basis, but also solving problems. They monitor the buzz in the Twitterverse about their products and services, and they’re showing that they are a company that understands the power of social media—and the power of customer opinion and brand image. If you’re not engaged with your customers through Twitter, it’s time to get out there and start tweeting.
