Social media is more popular than ever, and it seems as though most people, including your customers, have access to Facebook. Chances are that your company also has a FB page, and if you don’t then you certainly should set one up right away. The pages are excellent for advertising, for keeping in contact with customers and fans, and even for customer service, as you will see. By incorporating customer service into your FB page, it shows that you are able to keep your followers and fans happy, and that you do not fear taking the blame for any mistakes your company might make.
Here are some great ways to make the most out of customer service on Facebook. Be sure to incorporate them into your own business today.
Respond Right Away
First, when you have a customer on your site who has a question or a concern, or when your search of FB reveals that someone has a problem with your company, it is important to head the problem off at the pass, if possible. If the customer contacts you directly, take care of the problem as quickly as you are able. Respond in the first 24 hours for the best results. Try to make the time to respond far lower than that, though. The world of FB and other social media moves quickly, and a full 24 hours can feel much longer than it did in the past. If you are able to respond within a couple of hours after the post or complaint, customers will be much happier. Responding publicly also shows your other customers that you take service very seriously.
Monitoring Facebook (and Other Sites)
It is a very good idea to use software that allows you to monitor mentions of your company online, including on all of the various social networking sites. The monitoring site should help to keep abreast of mentions of your company on Facebook and other sites, allowing you or your social networking team to take action quickly and decisively in order to make sure the customers are happy.
Taking It Private
When someone has an issue with a product or service and they post about it, the first interaction should generally be in the public eye. It is something that the individual, as well as your other fans and their connections will see. After that, depending on the nature of the problem, it might be a good idea to take it into a private discussion to come to a resolution.
Ahead of the Complaints
If it turns out a product released from your company has some issues or problems, rather than waiting for the people on Facebook to turn against you, it is smart to address the issues online first. Let people know what you are doing to correct the problem. If your site will have downtime, address that on FB as well, so you do not have a deluge of emails asking what is wrong with your site. By getting ahead of any potential issue and addressing it early, it really does have the potential to alleviate many of the customer service issues companies have.
Be Genuine
When dealing with customer service on Facebook, it is also important to be genuine and friendly. People are on these networks to be social, and that’s exactly how you should treat them. Be kind, be social, and be ready and willing to help your customers with the issues they have, both large and small alike. While it might not be possible for all companies to monitor their FB pages around the clock, make sure you do put enough effort into the site to help those customers who use it to contact you.