Social Media Customer Service Software Overview
What is Social Customer Service?
Social customer service is the practice of proactively listening for and responding to support issues on social channels.
How does it Differ from Standard Customer Service
The goal is to make support in the form of agents and knowledge available through the most convenient channel: social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. It is different from other approaches to CRM in that agents use social listening, tracking, alerts, and workflow automation features to identify and respond to all customers who have questions or problems, regardless of whether they create a support ticket or even contact the company directly.
Social media is typically not the sole channel for support; it is usually part of a multi-channel customer service strategy that may also include a call center, email support tickets, live chat, and/or a self-help portal.
Why is Social Media a Good Channel for Support?
Proponents of this approach say social is a promising support channel for two main reasons:
1. Most customers already spend a lot of time on social networks, and engaging in social media conversations is faster, easier, and less stressful than engaging over phone or email.
2. Customers often express their feelings around brands, products, and support experiences to their peers via social. They can post comments or questions on a brand’s profile page, tag @ or # mentions of the brand. By responding to all of these cases, support agents ensure that the maximum number of customer needs are met. Because social media is a somewhat public venue, good social support experiences create positive PR and prevent complaints from going viral.
