Twitter as a Customer Service Opportunity

Twitter has gotten a great deal of hype recently and its user registrations have grown considerably as a result. Of course, this has also gotten the attention of marketers looking for ways to grow their brand. If you have not done so already, give Twitter a try if you feel it is a good fit for your company's mission. You should seriously consider any tool or platform that can improve your business, especially one that allows you to better serve your existing customers.

So, where is the customer service opportunities on Twitter? It's simple, people are talking about the products and/or services you offer at this very moment on Twitter. Some of them could be discussing your brand and their experience in your store today. In other words, the opportunities are everywhere.

Here's an example of where Wendy's had an customer service opportunity recently. I was doing research on Twitter, using their search functionality and had entered “near:augusta” which will show real time tweets from users in the Augusta, GA area. Here's a screen capture of a tweet where the new Asian chicken dish offered at Wendy's did not meet the customer's expectations. In their opinion, the price and serving size were not optimal.
Complaint about Wendy's on Twitter
Just think of the opportunity to publicly address this complaint for all to see. Wendy's has a chance to engage this person directly, acknowledge the criticism and perhaps offer a make good such as a coupon or some other gesture. It's not feasible for most companies to offer coupons to every unhappy customer, but in my experience, any genuine response letting a customer know that you have heard their point will work wonders.

Regardless of which products and/or services you offer, there are many opportunities for you to participate in social media, you just have to do so in a positive manner. Here are a few suggestions on how you can use Twitter to better serve your customers:

• First, be sure you make customers aware of your presence on Twitter by posting your info in your store, on the company website, email signatures, etc.
• Monitor your brand by performing searches on Twitter. If anyone has mentioned your brand recently in a tweet, it should be in the list.
• Use your Twitter account to post updates, but also observe what your followers are saying. If you own a clothing store and you see someone having trouble figuring what to wear to an event, offer a general suggestion, and let it go, do not go into a sales pitch.
• If you see criticism about your business, be sure to keep an open mind, do not attack the critic. The criticism could be accurate, and if it is, let the customer know their opinion matters and let them know what you plan to do about.

All social media is about conversations among the community. You have to add value to be accepted as a trusted member of the community. If you violate the rules the community at large has established, you will not be allowed to participate in the conversation. In the online world, that usually involves you being marked as a spammer, and on Twitter you will be blocked and likely reported for policy violations. Just be patient and always try to be helpful, eventually your value will be seen and your voice will be heard.