Customer complaints see eight-fold rise on social media
New research has found that one in four social media users in the UK have used platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Google+ to make a complaint over the past three months.
Based on the views of 2,195 consumers and 12 in-depth interviews with senior customer service executives, the study by The Institute of Customer Service also shows that 12% of customers will use social media platforms to escalate their complaint if traditional methods for voicing dissatisfaction are not effective. The figures mark a sharp climb from the 3% of consumers who said they used social media to complain in January 2014.
However, the data also shows that two-thirds of customers described their social media interactions as “a good experience”, with just 14% suggesting their experience was less than positive.
The ‘Service Goes Social: how organisations can deliver customer service through social media’ report indicates that customers are also prepared to engage with brands, in a supportive manner. Many were found to “Like” or “Follow” the organisations they bought from and 39% actively ‘Give feedback’. For some, online platforms are a shop window, with 31% turning to social media to make pre-sales enquiries.
Customers aged 45 to 54 were found to be the most likely to share their experiences of an organisation through social media, closely followed by 18 to 24 year olds.
Jo Causon, chief executive of The Institute of Customer Service, said: “We have reached a point where social media is not just a necessary component of a credible customer service strategy but one which offers powerful insights that drive better innovation, co-creation and collaboration. To make this a reality, social media needs to be a central part of a coherent, sustained and long-term focus on customer service strategy, something that many organisations are yet to do.”
The report goes on to reveal what businesses think of social media and identifies the key priorities organisations need to address to deliver high quality customer experience through online channels. With customers demanding increased social media interaction because of its convenience, low cost and public nature, the report suggests that businesses should reduce response times, find ways to ensure round-the-clock service via social media and take responsibility for dealing with queries to avoid the reputational damage risked by highly publicised social media failures.
The study found that some organisations are still undecided on how to evolve their customer service programmes. While volumes of complaints, enquiries and other engagement through social media are expected to increase, some businesses expect growth in the use of video, whilst others predict that transactions will be conducted through social media channels.
Causon added: “The shift from a transactional economy to a relationship economy has been influenced and is most visible through new channels such as social media. Customers are no longer happy with one- way directional communication and expect to engage in conversations with the organisations they do business with. Organisations that do this well have a competitive advantage over those that are slow to adopt. It’s all about choice and enabling the consumer to interact with the company in a way that they choose.”
