I found these interesting statistics on the Institute Of Customer Service website today. In a great article by Guy Stephens on customer relationships and social media he highlights even more evidence of the influence of social media on businesses today, particularly when it comes to customer service.
Customers are becoming more 'demanding' - their expectations are rising. They are also 'shouting' about things more too! In this 'transparent world', the implications are that businesses have to
a) be listening, and....
b) be ready to respond - fast!
In the article, Guy highlights the following:
- 50% of people login to social networking sites regularly throughout the day
- 43% of people check social networking sites before going to bed, 1 in 5 check when they wake up
- 28% of people have uploaded a picture of a meal they were eating to a social site, this increases to 47% for 18-34 year olds
- 27% of respondents expected a response within 3 days when complaining via a company web site, 1 in 5 expected a response within an hour on Twitter or on Facebook
- 48% of 18 - 34 year olds check Facebook as soon as they wake up
- 20% of adults in Great Britain own a smartphone
The implications of a more 'transparent' world, combined with ever increasing customer expectations create both opportunity and threat - what are you doing to maximise the opportunities and minimise those threats?
'Nothing' is not an option! Do you actually know what customers are saying out there about you? (good or bad!). Who in your business is 'listening' - have you 'formally' given someone that task, or is it 'adhoc'?
As a starting point, why not establish a process for 'listening' and give someone in your team the job? The great thing is, it doesn't have to be a 'senior executive' - it's a brilliant opportunity to give a 'junior member' of your team some responsibility!!! (They might be better than you at it too!)