Social Media Monday (Vol. 4, No. 16)

May 18,2014

Social Media Customer Service: Are you Connecting?

I am often entertained by the genuine surprise and happiness expressed when I solve a problem or help a citizen connect with an agency through one of the social media networks that I manage for the state. The reality is that the bar has been set pretty low when it comes to customer service expectations by government.  Exceeding those expectations is easy and the pay off is a stronger social relationship resulting in more shares, likes or retweets and greater reach.

During StateStat meetings, agencies talk about their customer service avenues and the expense and challenges associated with each.  Call centers seem to be the most difficult to manage and yet they are the touch point for so many of our citizens.  Long wait times, disconnects and incorrect information do a great deal of harm to an agencies reputation.   Social media and web posts should be crafted in response to the data collected by the call centers allowing for a one-to-one-to-many sharing of information.

A symbiotic relationship exists between all customer care channels.  You can create a great social media hook but if the webpage that you link does not provide the deeper understanding of your topic in a clear concise way you have wasted your time and that of your follower.  You can post a memorable and well-written news release but if your social media post is uninspiring, no one will click through.  An interdependent relationship exists between all methods of customer care.

Those who use social media for customer service (and who doesn’t these days) have certain expectations.  They want a fast response.  Government is not known for timely responses and while studies show that customers generally expect a response within an hour for private sector brands, they do not seem to hold government accounts to the same standard.  The more timely your response, the more grateful and appreciative the citizen.

Followers demand honesty.  Through my work with Maryland Health Connection, I learned quickly that an ‘I’m sorry for your trouble’ and ‘I don’t know the answer to that question but I promise to find out’ often transformed an angry citizen into a partner in problem solving.  What started as a ‘me against him’ turned quickly into ‘we are in this together so let’s find a solution.’

Lastly, our social customers expect to be helped where they are.  If they report an issue on Twitter, they want to be answered on Twitter.  They do not want to be sent to another place requiring more work on their part.  If you must take the conversation off line for privacy purposes be sure to dm on Twitter or request an inbox conversation on Facebook.

What innovative ways are you using social media for effective customer care?  Let us know!

Note from @MDAgDept: Tweeting about the Maryland Ice Cream Trail?  Use #MDIceCream

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Have a great week!

Lori Livingston

Lori.livingston@maryland.gov