A customer who prefers using social media often has a sharp tongue and fast fingers. here’s why you need to respond quickly.
Social customers will tell about 40 people when they have a good customer service experience. That sounds pretty good … until you hear that they’ll tell almost 55 people about a bad customer service experience, according to the American Express Global Customer Service Barometer.
The worst part: Upset social media users tend to be fast with telling their stories. They don’t wait until coffee with friends and colleagues or dinner with the family to share a poor customer experience. Instead, they grab their mobile devices and air their gripe in less time than it takes you to digest their issue.
That’s why it’s more important than ever to reach out to upset customers — whether they’ve complained online, over the phone or in person. One of the quickest ways agents can soothe upset customers’ emotions is to show empathy and take some kind of responsibility immediately. And that doesn’t mean they have to take responsibility for an issue that isn’t the company’s fault.
The best thing to say after customer complains: “I’m sorry this has happened. I’ll work to get it resolved right away.” It doesn’t imply anyone is wrong and it reassures customers that things will be handled.
