#contactcenterworld, @puzzelsolutions

In this second blog of the series I cover the rise of social media in contact centres and discuss 7 ways cloud technology can help to deliver outstanding social customer service.

Compared with other digital channels, social media is different because it is being driven by customer demand rather than a need to provide customer service via more cost effective channels. For many, social media provides a positive experience with a very low pain point and at virtually no cost of time or money. For example, the customer complains loudly and in public, so the business reacts quickly and effectively. Great news for customers, not so great for contact centres which are forced to play a frantic game of catch-up. According to industry analyst ContactBabel, 31% of respondents to its latest survey already have a dedicated social media team working within the contact centre. However, 27% of organisations find that more than half of social media requests need the use of another channel for effective resolution. Therefore, the need for channels to work together becomes more important.

So just how do contact centres face the challenges of social media and turn it into an opportunity to deliver a superior customer experience? Is it time to up your social media game?

Fast-track social customer service
Here are 7 ways cloud contact centre solutions can help to serve today’s social customer by using technology to:

1. Create a blended social media environment – manage all social media interactions in real time and engage, monitor and store all your Facebook, Facebook Messenger and Twitter conversations using one, integrated platform that links seamlessly with CRM and other business applications, providing a single view of the customer.
   
   
2. Route social media effectively - advanced routing ensures social media enquiries are queued and distributed to specially trained agents to improve response times and minimise the impact of negative social media noise. Then, use special routing to prioritise key influencers and VIP customers.
   
   
3. Accelerate response times - organisations can spot a comment on social media by introducing standardised auto replies that accelerate response times, while improving the accuracy and consistency of responses.
   
   
4. Develop an easily accessible knowledgebase - with answers to frequently asked customer questions that help agents respond to social media queries quickly and appropriately.
   
   
5. Maintain a reliable audit trail - all social media enquiries (both answered and unanswered) are included in statistical reports and in the agent ticket for auditing and training purposes.
   
   
6. KPI alarms for social media queues – keep leaders one step ahead. They warn supervisors of potential breaches, putting them in complete control of their social media environment.
   
   
7. Protect agent privacy and security – customers come top of the list but you need to protect your agents too. There’s no need for agents to use their personal social media accounts to respond to customer enquiries.
   
   

Making social media an intrinsic part of any omnichannel strategy is the proactive route to happier customers and a healthier corporate reputation. Customer service via social media is all part of improving the customer experience by building frictionless customer journeys.

#contactcenterworld, @puzzelsolutions

[i]ContactBabel’s "The 2018-2019 UK Contact Centre Decision-Makers’ Guide (16^th edition)"