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13 December 2013

Customer Service on Twitter: In 140 Characters Or Less

Customer Service on Twitter

Customer Service on Twitter tweet characters

As a social media platform Twitter has forged a reputation for being at the forefront of social customer service. This can be attributed to two main factors. Firstly the real-time nature of interactions on the platform. Secondly it is because Twitter has become one of the main forums where brands which fail to deliver customer service come under the most vocal attack. The 2012 Neilson Report demonstrated that 47% of customers seek support and assistance through various social channels. 27% of these were found to use Twitter for this purpose.

Statistics aside, many companies have found that Twitter can provide them with a quick channel to improved relationships with their customers. Many companies use Twitter as a tool to keep their customers involved with developments within the brand, to direct them to relevant and related sources and also to inform them about the products and services which they offer.

Top 7 Customer Service on Twitter Tweets

There is literally an infinite number of interactions which can occur on Twitter. However there are seven key tweets which are used by businesses on a daily basis, helping them to deliver higher levels of customer service on Twitter. These are as follows:

  • The “we are very sorry” tweet.
  • The “here is a quick solution” tweet.
  • The “help can be obtained here” tweet.
  • The “we are experiencing problems” tweet.
  • The “this is another use of our products” tweet.
  • The “help us improve” tweet.
  • The “thank you very much” tweet.

Let’s look at each of these customer service on Twitter tweets in further detail.

Customer Service on Twitter sorry

The “we are very sorry” tweet

Unfortunately during the course of business operations things happen and customers feel let down. Previously this would have gone unnoticed by everyone except for the customer and their friends and family, social media has changed everything. Now when customers get angry they have a means to vent this frustration publically through social media.

Customers are becoming acutely aware that they are likely to receive a greater response from a well-considered 140 characters than they are from an hour spent on the phone. Equally, small businesses see Twitter as means of stopping mistakes and accidents transcending into a huge crisis. When it comes to addressing customers grievances through Twitter it is not about who is in the right and who is in the wrong. The companies who have the most success in this area are those which are quick to apologise for the shortcoming in service which has caused the grievance and basically have the best customer service on Twitter in place.

The “here is a quick solution” tweet

From time to time customers will have a quick question which they want a quick answer to. In these cases they don’t want to wait for extended periods of time and they don’t want to spend time searching for the answer themselves. Increasingly, customers are turning these questions to company Twitter accounts. In these situations for the best customer service on Twitter it is always advisable to provide them with the answer to their questions as quickly as you can.

Customer Service on Twitter bird

The “help can be obtained here” tweet

Twitter is an excellent format to provide your customers with quick responses to their questions.  However there is only so much information which you can provide in the limited space. Often customers do not know where or who to go to with their problem, but they know they have a problem which they want fixed quickly. In these cases Twitter is an excellent format where companies can direct customers to someone who can help or alternatively to somewhere where they can find what they require.

The “we are experiencing problems” tweet

Often when things go wrong for a company the biggest complaint their customers have is that they were not informed sooner. If people are informed about a problem early on, then they are far more likely to be understanding. In these cases one of the best things a business can do is to give their customers a heads up that a problem is on the horizon. As Twitter operates in real time, it is the perfect format to inform your customers of problems as and when they occur.

The “this is another use of our products” tweet

Providing your customers with exceptional levels of customer service is not just a matter of apologising when things go wrong and trying to fix these problems. Twitter is an excellent format to demonstrate to your customers how they can get more from your products or services.

Providing your customers with these informative tweets is an excellent way of ensuring that they receive an overall better experience. It also equips them with a number of tips and tricks which they can demonstrate to their friends and family. This can be as simple as demonstrating a shortcut on a smartphone or providing a means to make better gravy.

The “help us improve” tweet

It is true that brands often receive numerous complaints in their customer services department, however what is most important is what is learnt from these mistakes and how a company grows to avoid their repetition in the future. By learning from your mistakes and your customers complaints you are able to provide your customers with an enhanced experience and higher levels of customer service.

Twitter provides companies with an excellent format to demonstrate that they value their customer’s opinions and welcome feedback. This enables companies to intercept problems before they are complained about through customer service on Twitter. Rather than waiting for a complaint, perhaps it is worth asking your Twitter following what measures your company can take to improve their overall service.

Customer Service on Twitter thank you

The “thank you very much” tweet

Without a doubt it is the companies which continue to deliver exceptional levels of customer service which will continue to attract customers. Due to the direct nature of Twitter it provides customers with the ability to compliment companies on their services. This in turn offers companies an excellent format where they are able to personally thank customers for these compliments. This is beneficial to companies for two reasons. Firstly it demonstrates publically that customers love your products and services. Secondly, it shows that you value the opinion of your customers and deliver nice and positive customer services to them.

Social media has irreversibly changed how companies interact with their customers and vice versa. This change is most noticeable in the realm of customer service. The customers of today expect to send off a quick tweet and gain a quick response. Hopefully, these suggestions will help your company to improve their customer service on Twitter.