Thoughts on Twitter

With the explosion in social media that has led companies to try to define a social strategy and business, I was thinking about how Twitter can be used for service. Of course people are using Twitter today to stay engaged with their community and are using it to help solve problems, but I think there might even be a more fundamental use of the social media platform for Customer Service Execs.

When the topic of social media comes up in conversation around customer service, I tend to share an opinion that I have that people today are using Twitter today more as a "jump to the front of the line" kind of tool versus a true two way conversation. People feel that they can not or know that they will not get their question or issue resolved in a timely fashion in the other channels that are available to them. They have called the call center two times and not been helped in a way that resolved the problem. They have tried emailing but only got canned responses and no personal response for days. But, they know that because so many companies are so intently focused on managing their social presence and brand on social networks, they use those forums to tell the company their problem. Again, because it is such a new channel, the company has dedicated resources that are ensuring timely resolution to problems that arise. So, right now it is not so much that Twitter is where people are living for service, it is that they don't have trust or confidence in the other channels that are offered to them.

Now, someday in the near future, this dynamic may change and Twitter or other social networks may become the place that people go first for answers. But, for the large majority, the social networks for customer service are just the new, best way to get your issue resolved the first time in the fastest way possible.

So, now back to my original discussion point. I think that executives have an opportunity at this point to not only solve the customer problem with their social network strategy, but they have an opportunity to ask for customers feedback on why they chose Twitter instead of the call center. Or why they chose a forum on LinkedIn versus emailing a question to your company.

The feedback that you receive can then be additive to your strategy discussions around how you make engagement with your company easier, more pleasant, faster and successful.

No doubt that today executives are exploring how social networks impact service. I would challenge those executives to make it a point to use the engagement that social media facilitates to understand more about why people don't trust the other channels for support, because they aren't going away!