The weather wasn’t the only thing heating up in Las Vegas last week; ITEXPO was in town, and it was a hot one. The Rio Las Vegas was full of interesting presentations, workshops and networking opportunities, and I was lucky enough to speak on a panel for LiveOps during the first day of the conference. “Serving the Social Customer” was the topic at hand, and we engaged in extensive conversations about customer care, providing outstanding customer experiences and the use of social channels as a contact center resource – subjects that are right up LiveOps’ alley.
Social is becoming more mainstream for customer interactions, and customer expectations on social channels are expanding. Companies are not only expected to have active presences on social channels, but also to provide quick responses within 10 to 30 minutes to customer inquiries (depending on the social network). However, it would be a mistake to look at these channels as just outlets for negative messages or an opportunity for customers to vent. Companies are now able to leverage their own messages to create positive experiences, and they can engage with their customers and prospective buyers to further understand their needs and develop brand advocates.
The use of social media for customer service has allowed brands to realize the importance of integrated multichannel strategies, as well. With the right contact center technology, agents are able to pivot among channels and move a social media customer interaction from public to private with full visibility of the customer’s profile and past interaction history. Social media listening technology, contextual routing and proactive engagement are the keys to facilitating positive, successful customer interactions and providing the ultimate customer experience.
Leveraging tools, such as Facebook and Twitter, to engage with customers can have an overarching impact on other business practices, too. When companies use the feedback they receive through social engagement, customer opinions and experiences can help to strengthen marketing, sales, customer service strategies, employee engagement and more. I may have been happy to leave the smoldering heat of the desert for the relatively mild weather of the Bay Area, but I’ve brought an abundance of souvenirs back, in the form of new opinions, novel ideas and useful information to help my company and our customers.
How have you used customer feedback on social channels to improve your business?
– George Matar, Senior Director Product Marketing
