Social media support teams suck! Here’s how to really support your customers

Why you need instant messaging for your support teams

Let’s be honest here. Social media support teams suck. There’s no point trying to sugar coat this. They just really do.

Customers reach out to social media support teams to have their queries solved. And the immediate reaction is to take the conversation to the inbox. Because, really, a 20-year-old intern is likely reading that tweet or Facebook comment. They don’t have any power. They forward the comment to someone else, someone who actually has the power to make a decision and offer a solution but doesn’t have the time to respond. Those in the social media support team don’t personally help the customer, so customers will have to wait a long time for a resolution to their query.

Customers are demanding

They want attention, they want it now, and they want it 24/7. They don’t care what time zone the support team is in. And they certainly don’t care about those team members getting their eight hours of beauty sleep every night. If customers don’t get the attention and support they want from a business’s support team, they’re going to take their query to social media. And they’re probably not going to be polite about it. They’ll use the opportunity to release all of their anger and frustration.

The person answering queries doesn’t have the tools to solve them

Often, the person answering customer queries just does not have the tools to actively solve them. Take the example of someone working in an airline’s sociable media support team. They likely don’t have access to details about lost baggage, delayed flights, or even gate changes. All of these examples are incredibly important issues for any traveler attempting to resolve a query. And they’ll be left unsatisfied, with their questions unanswered. That’s just not a sustainable solution. And it’s not going to lead to an ongoing positive relationship between customer and business.

Customers want to experience business in the same way across multiple channels. They want an omnichannel experience. They want to know that they can expect to receive the same treatment whether they visit your website or social media profiles, receive an SMS, or open an email. They want their information and customer profiles to be available at the touch of a button.

That’s why an omnichannel solution like Clickatell Touch makes far more sense than that social media intern manning the support desk. Touch is a live chat omnichannel solution which includes chatbot technology and allows a business to engage with customers anywhere and at any time. If increased sales, streamlined support, and reduced costs sound appealing, then Touch is the chat software solution you need for your business.

Instant customer query resolution

At its core, Touch is a live omnichannel solution for customer service which makes it possible to instantly (yes, you read that right, instantly) resolve customer queries which come in via your website, social channels, and chat apps - all from one easy to use interface. That means no more disgruntled customers waiting for a support team member to give some assistance. It enables social media support teams to effectively do their jobs. And that means both customer support and relationships are improved.

It would be better for businesses if they were to offer support via all digital touchpoints, including social media channels, and if all queries ended up in the same place – Touch. Here, customer service and social media teams can work together as a unified team to collaborate and offer the best possible support, in the shortest possible period of time.

If your interest is piqued and you’re ready to take your social media and customer support to the next level, read more about Clickatell Touch and get started with the free Go Starter edition.