“Customer support is the very rare opportunity to connect to your customers on an emotional level. You can’t do that in any other way.” Buffer COO, Leo Widrich.

What customers are expecting

36% of customers, who place a query via social media, have their problem resolved quickly and efficiently.  Here are the three top outcomes that a customer expects when they have placed a query on a social network:

1. Customers expect a swift response to their query.
2. They want you to be honest with them.
3. They want a response on the same medium in which they reached out to you.

How to meet with their expectations

Meeting with your customers’ expectations hands you the opportunity of having these customers spend 20% - 40% more with your company. Building a relationship of trust will do that for your sales revenue.

Respond to queries as soon as possible; let them know you have received their message and that you are looking into it. It is wise to check your social networks a couple of times throughout the day. When your customers feel that you are paying attention to them, they feel more appreciative of your efforts – even if you are unable to provide them with the solution that they are looking for. Being honest with them in this regard also expresses your care, which puts the customer at ease. Make use of phrases like ‘I am sorry’ or ‘I will get back to you ASAP’. Using ‘I’ instead of ‘we’ lets the customer know that they are talking to a real person and not just an automation.

If a customer contacts you on Facebook, respond to them on Facebook. This forms part of catering to their needs. Not everyone enjoys a chat on the phone and while you might think an email is fine, showing that you respond to queries on social media gives you a better reputation. If you email in response to a Facebook query, how do other users know that you have responded?

In a situation where it is imperative for a rep to contact the customer, use these two steps to up your customer service game:

1. Ask the customer (on the social network) if this is fine with them and ask them to send their preferred details to you in a private message, always ask for both a cell phone number and an email address.
2. Follow up – give the rep a few days to contact the customer, then respond to the message again, asking if they have been contacted by the rep and assisted with their query.

Providing outstanding customer care gives you a strong competitive advantage and your customers will reward you great service with a mention on the given social network.  In a call centre, the conversation remains between the rep and customer – if the customer badmouths you, nobody else knows necessarily. Not so with social media. Each week over 1 Million Twitter followers view customer service related Tweets, which proves that if you deliver, you receive. It takes one bad interaction to place a dark cloud over your brands’ online word-of-mouth.