Will Social Media Customer Service Replace Other Forms of Delivery?
As of this writing, social media hasn’t and cannot replace other methods of delivering customer service. Despite all the hype, the overwhelming majority of customer service contact happens through face to face, phone and email, and for good reason. It’s more personal, and more familiar, and frankly, more convenient.
So, what’s all the buzz about? When surveys ask about customer service and social media preferences, what happens is people are so disillusioned with telephone trees, ridiculous waiting periods on the phone and unanswered emails, that they will express interest in anything that “might be better”. So it appears customers prefer social media, at least when surveyed, but they are comparing what might be better, to terrible customer service in other channels.
Here’s the bottom line. Customers want fast convenient service, and if you offer amazing customer service by phone, they’ll love it.
Since social media has not replaced other methods in the hearts of customers, and it lacks the high touch required for customer service, it becomes extra overhead, since every channel added (when none are eliminated) adds expense.
