Customer service is one of the most important factors in any business, but when it comes to e-commerce, it is even more important. E-Commerce is growing exponentially thanks to mobile devices, and customers are increasingly more demanding. They demand a quick response when tracking the product they have purchased and its reception date. E-mail and telephone have been the most common channels for this type of business so far. Today, more and more companies are committed to customer service through social media, where Twitter is the star, as it is a two-way communication social network that allows for immediacy. Bidirectional communication and immediacy are key elements in the management of any customer service process, and this is where Twitter excels. To manage orders, provide information and get back to the customer, the famous social network uses 140 characters, which means we need to be careful. A complaint or a negative comment via e-mail or telephone stays between the company and the customer, while on the social media, it is exposed to everyone and it can negatively affect the company. If the company manages to provide immediate and effective customer service through Twitter, the consequences will result in benefits, improving the brand’s credibility, in addition to saving time to both the customer and the company. The multiplicative effect of social media, especially Twitter, requires that we manage them carefully and we assess every answer we post. They should be handled by professionals only. The users who place orders and communicate with the company through social networks are young, used to online shopping and they interact on social media naturally. In most cases, the reason for the communication comes from the interest or the need to know where our order is and when we will receive it. Thus, besides being the perfect tool and making the enquiry process effective, Twitter is also very useful to track the process from product shipping to customer reception.
Advantages of using Twitter as a customer service tool
Speed While other channels like the telephone do not easily allow to filter customers and select those with priority, Twitter easily allows to make a selection and take care of the most urgent cases first.
Credibility Proper media management can greatly improve brand image.
Reduce costs The cost per user interaction with Twitter is much lower than with other customer service systems. If we compare it, for example, with a call center, the costs are much lower. In any case, they are complementary systems, which allows us to segment the different communication channels based on the user’s profile.
Mobility It enables to contact customers anywhere and from any device with an Internet connection.
How to provide excellent customer service
An exclusive customer service channel The Twitter customer service account must be independent. Do not use the company’s promotional account for customer service.
Immediacy Anyone contacting a company via Twitter expects an immediate response, and so it must be. The customer’s or user’s perception and subsequent opinion of the brand greatly depends on the time it has taken to respond. Therefore, we must establish a maximum response time that is the shortest possible and prioritize, that is, classify messages and answer the most urgent first.
Performance Although it may seem otherwise, the 140-character limit is an advantage, because it requires more precision and accuracy in the answer. Bearing this in mind, we need to avoid misinterpretations and make clarifications when appropriate, and thank the customers every time they contact us, whatever the reason for the communication.
Make an effective follow-up Once the question or issue has been solved, it is advisable to contact the customer after a few days to see everything is fine. This is something that users and customers highly appreciate. It is essential to maintain customer loyalty. In general, around half of all queries through the Twitter customer service account of an e-commerce business aim to track product shipping. The other 50% account for complaints, timetable information requests and others. All things considered, Twitter is an effective channel for customer service that is suited to the needs of the last mile. Using this tool means comfort, added value and many advantages, since the prosperity of social networks is almost incalculable. It ensures what every customer service process needs: immediacy, two-way communication, and at a very low cost per user interaction.
