Social media is gradually pushing, cajoling and challenging companies to redefine, re-evaluate and at times re-engineer the way in which they provide customer service – and, as Guy Stephens highlights, a number of trends have become evident.
The emergence in 2009 of social media as a real catalyst of change signalled for the first time the possibility that customer service had a vital role to play in winning the hearts and minds of customers.
As the year went on, more and more customer service agents could be heard chanting their new found mantra – “I’m sorry, how can I help you” – as they emerged from the shadows of their monolithic corporate structures. Customers no longer complained in private, but engaged in open and authentic conversations with ‘customer advocates’ willing to listen empathetically to their problems. Companies such as BT, ASOS, EasyJet, O2 and Virgin Trains led the way in the pursuit of helping their customers at their moment of greatest need. These companies recognised that social media, or specifically Twitter, allowed them to do just that, and they were willing to take a leap of faith.
Posted by Guy Stephens in Customer experience, Social CRM on Wed, 10/03/2010