How to Provide Exceptional Customer Service Via Social Media

The Human Element
Customers like and respond to social service due to the fundamentals of human nature. People care about being listened to. Often such acknowledgement is more important to a customer than actual resolution of the problem. Customers also like to hear from other customers. Ironically, knowing other people are having the same issue often makes a customer feel better.

To get your company's social service program started, first develop goals, strategies and a plan. Foster a social cultural model consistent with your brand's values. Commit to and focus on social service from top to bottom in your company. Seek out customer feedback, issues and questions. Engage personally and socially. Be transparent and authentic. That is, acknowledge issues, what you can and can't do about them. People understand that nothing is perfect. They don't understand and don't take well to being misled or left in limbo.

Listen to their needs and wants, really talk with them, and create highly personalized experiences. Social service is simply taking these age-old retail principles to new heights in our socially networked world.

One of the greatest outcomes of social media for retailers is the commonality. It's no longer about the size of a company; whether big or small, the playing field has been leveled. With social media, small retailers can reach beyond themselves and their region to connect with customers that would have otherwise been far beyond their locality. Now they can create an online presence that knows no bounds. Today's social media landscape is driven by dedication, time and focus — size is no longer grounds for being dismissed or unheard. Creating noteworthy, relevant customer service experiences has been amplified by our socially networked world, opening up new realms of possibility and opportunity for recognition.

Peter Friedman is the chairman and CEO of LiveWorld, a social content marketing company. Peter can be reached at pfriedman@liveworld.com.