18 Sep “Get Satisfaction” with Customers Through Social Media
We all know that customer service is a costly part of any business. Currently, most companies still operate call centers, translating to a cost per phone call of around 35$. Unfortunately, email support doesn’t lessen this, due to duplication of inquiries
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However, in light of these current customer service shortcomings, social media is offering businesses a new way to interact with customers, and a new way to respond to customer questions and complaints.
One such example of this is the site called Get Satisfaction , a site that according to Business Week is “part online forum, part FAQ, and part social network”. To put it simply, the site works by allowing anyone to ask a question, submit an idea or complaint, or discuss a particular product or company. All of these components are then listed on a public “Satisfaction page” for everyone to see, comment on, and rate.
As a result, users are creating “Satisfaction” pages for companies and products. Instead of customers calling traditional call centers for questions and complaints, they are going elsewhere to ask questions, discuss, and share solutions.
The benefit to businesses is that the site’s “rating system” aggregates users with similiar concerns. No more duplication of inquires – a company can more easily prioritize questions that need addressing, common complaints, and have insight into the product developments that most customers want. Additionally, call center traffic can be greatly reduced from customers offering free troubleshooting to other customers.
It’s an amazing phenomena, and companies like Apple and Air Canada have become involved in the conversations taking place. I have a weird feeling that customer service is about to be transformed…
