Maturity of social customer engagement and the value of an effort-free customer experience may have been the two main driving forces behind the evolution of customer expectations in 2016. Today’s customers want their voices heard and problems resolved, quickly and without having to jump through hoops. Then they want to carry on with their lives and cast that issue from their to-do bandwidth, freeing up precious time and energy. As 2017 rolls in, here are 7 vital statistics to keep in mind as you consider integrating a social care team or making innovative changes to your existing social engagement profile.
1. The #1 most Important factor in customer loyalty is reduction of customer effort – Harvard Business Review
Say goodbye to the concept of customer service needing to be over-the-top in order to be effective. It turns out that to drive truly loyalty-producing engagements, you simply need to make it simple…for your customer. Reducing effort is the most important thing that your service strategy should accomplish. Using neverending IVR systems? Ridiculously long response times? Does resolution require channel hopping and repetitive info inputs from your customers? If you answered yes to any of these, you might be solving your customer’s problem, but you’re definitely not capturing their loyalty and future business.
2. Customer service interactions over Twitter have increased 250% in the last two years. – Twitter
For all the social dinosaurs out there, your aversion to the ‘customer-owned channels’ is becoming less and less acceptable. While this statistic specifically pertains to Twitter, we’re seeing significant customer care volume increases on greener social channels such as Facebook Messenger as well. For example, after launching Facebook Messenger for customer care last year, Sprint saw an increase of 31% in private messages in only 3 months time. As Twitter, Messenger, Instagram and others continue to roll out innovative engagement features, be prepared to be there waiting, because that’s where your customers will be.
3. Answering a social media complaint increases customer advocacy by as much as 25%. – Convince and Convert
Volumes on social aren’t the only reason you need to respond and resolve on social. Not only are the queries ending up on these channels, but dealing with them quickly and effectively can increase customer advocacy by 25%. A brand advocate is a sold-out brand evangelist, sharing their love for your company, their unabashed loyalty and general goodwill. You can win these hidden customer treasures on social, so what are you waiting for?
4. 77% of people say that valuing their time is the most important thing a company can do to provide them with good service. – Forrester Research
With your multi-tasking, mobile-enriched customer base, comes the expectation of speed and efficiency. Social channel resolution inherently frees up time as lengthy phone calls don’t allow for doing more at the same time. Knowing and trusting that their favorite brands are on the other end of a message thread offers the ease and comfort that customers have come to expect in today’s social-driven world. Quick responses are proven to drive revenue, which takes us to point #5.
5. Speedy Responses on Social Equal Willingness for Customer Spend
It’s becoming increasingly clear that investing in social customer care drives revenue. According to a previously conducted Twitter poll, airline customers would be willing to pay $2.33 more for the same or enhanced service if a social response is provided in 67 minutes or more. Even more incredible, customers would be willing to pay an astounding $19.83 more if a response is provided within just six minutes. Time is money, so start saving both by providing value quickly on social.
6. Phone / Voice is the Most Frustrating Customer Service Channel – Aspect Research
32% percent of those that we surveyed in our State of Social Customer Service Report found the phone to be the most frustrating way to engage customer service. With multiple brand options for consumers to choose from, don’t be surprised if customers abandon your company for your competitor because of poor customer service. Social customer care, and messaging channels in particular, are revolutionizing the customer experience, offering in-the-moment resolution with a human touch that has been lost in the script of the traditional call center.
7. 54% of millennials said they stopped doing business because of poor customer service. Additionally, 50% of Gen Xers and 52% of baby boomers felt the same way. – Conversion
By now it should be clear that customer service can no longer be relegated to the basement of your brand’s focus. It must be front and center of your organization, alongside marketing, as a priority focus for customer interaction and retention. Customer service is a key differentiator for businesses and those who spend the time and money to integrate social into their repertoire will be handsomely rewarded with brand loyalty and increased revenue across generations.
Now that you’re informed to better serve your customers this year, take a listen to our original Audiobook, “The Definitive Guide to Social, Mobile Customer Service.” Conversocial team members will walk you through everything you need to know to serve this new breed of customer and their new expectations.
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