DM's Are For Social Conversations, Not Customer Service Questions, Right?

I follow a lot of small business meme accounts and there is a narrative that I have seen trending across accounts -- that customers are reaching out for help in the WRONG places and in the WRONG ways.

In response to this customer "bad behavior," some small businesses are rallying to say, essentially, "The customer is not always right." In the case of using a small brand's social media platforms as a tactic for getting help, the customer is, according to them, dead-wrong.

Just to be totally transparent here, I wholeheartedly disagree with this assertion. I believe our customer behaviors are a research gold-mine. They tell us exactly what they like and don't like, and why, and what the best ways are to service them.

Brands have built chat-bots and chat windows into their sites, developed customer service text options, and have incorporated social media community management into their customer service strategy because ... successful businesses meet people where they are.

When I was marketing my jewelry collection full-time, I quickly learned that because expos and craft fairs are social events, the first thing customers did after meeting me was to follow me on social media. They certainly didn't visit my website first and bookmark my customer service page. They met me, liked me, liked my work, and connected with me socially in person, and then virtually, on social. Many people liked to 'make the rounds' at big events before making their first purchase (I'm that way) and many others commit to not buying anything at all during the event in order to not overspend. Instead, this second group of folks collect business cards and follow social media accounts and then, in the peace of their own home, later that evening, they will organize, make selections, and check out ... online.

Because the connections I made with these folks were via social media, that's often the avenue they chose to contact me once they were ready to buy.

Imagine ... you learn about a business for the first time, make a conscious decision to reach out to the business owner to spend MONEY with them (remember, you've never even been to their website), and the maker you had such a positive interaction with in person responds with, "I don't do customer service on social media. Visit my website to request custom orders."

I believe everyone can agree that the above feels a bit ... out of touch. Maybe even stern? Cold? Rude?

Now, let me say that it annoyed me to no end to have to do customer service on my social media accounts. As a very black-and-white linear thinker with very probably some undiagnosed ability differences that make the in-between hard for me, I keep everything in boxes. I liked when customer service outreach came to me from my website and straight to my inbox. It enabled me to tag the email and assign myself a task to get it done. It was easier to share links via email and using email helped me stay organized.

But people wanted to connect and problem-solve via my Instagram DMs. Like the big companies who have begun hiring community managers to handle social media customer service, I had to adjust. As a small, scrappy business, I needed to be that person.

So I created template responses, saved them in a customer service folder in the Notes app on my phone (full of appropriate links), copy/pasted when necessary.

Here's an example exchange based on past experiences:

Customer DM: Hi! I met you at such-and-such craft fair a couple weeks ago and I haven't been able to stop thinking about those incredible earrings! Do you remember the ones? I think they were green with a dangle and maybe there was some beadwork?

My response: Hi! Thanks so much for reaching out. It was so great connecting with you at the event and I'm glad you you got in touch. I think I remember which ones you liked (by the way, I always took note of what people loved but decided not to buy. I had a list behind my booth and I would ask the person's name and make notes about what they had looked at so I could make these weeks-later follow-up requests easy), but just in case .... here are a couple photos. Do these ring a bell? <insert photos> If so, here are the links to purchase each of them. If not, here's a link to the earring page on my website <link> and here's a link to my custom order request form if you would like to request a custom piece <link> -- can't wait to hear what you decide!

Customer response (still in DM): Yes, that first photo -- that's the pair! I would like to buy those and also a second pair made with a blue instead of green dangle. How much?

My response: Ok, great! I created a custom listing for you which includes two pairs of earrings -- the ones you chose and the cost of the custom pair. Once you check out using this link, I will get the first pair in the mail and start working on the custom pair for you. As soon as I receive your order, I will send you photos of potential blue dangles so I can start customizing the second pair! If, during the custom process you end up requesting additional pieces or different metals, there may be a small up-charge but if we stick closely to the original design, you will be good to go!

This seems like a lot of labor, right? Well, I have to tell you, it's worth it. And it's not the customer's fault that social media has become a common place for customer service outreach. It's also not their fault that small small businesses are often run by just one or two people who don't like handling customer service opportunities via DM.

If the response to the above initial outreach had been, "Hi! Please check out my website for inquiries <link>!" the sale probably would have been lost because ...

1. The response was impersonal.
2. No real help was provided.
3. The customer was directed to look all throughout a website when really they just needed to be directed to one product type.
4. Customers get distracted. It's way easier to walk away from a webpage or virtual cart to answer the phone or run an errand (and then not return) than it is to leave a detailed DM hanging. I abandon carts all the time. I think, "I'll check out when I get back from the store, but then I get home, open my computer, type something into my browser before bookmarking the cart page, and completely forget about it.

You see, it's actually better for small businesses when someone reaches out via DM. Why? Because it's there that a personal connection is made and accountability comes into play. Will this always result in a sale? No. Often, it will, though. And guess what else, you will have developed a relationship and created a raving fan.

People shop with people who make it easy to spend money. Period, the end.

I'm not saying it's not OK to be annoyed, frustrated, or downright angry that people don't shop/communicate/request help in the ways that it is easiest for businesses to handle all those things. What I am saying is that a business owner's frustration is not the customer's responsibility. I am also saying that businesses must adjust despite the frustration.

I agree that being a customer doesn't make one unilaterally right about all things. It's not right to shame makers/small businesses about their pricing, for example, but customer service is changing. And why shouldn't it? Now that Facebook and Instagram have marketplaces and so many small businesses are selling straight from the apps, visiting a business' website for anything is often totally unnecessary.

Let's meet customers where they are and make lots of money together that we can spend on hiring people to do the things we don't want to do, k? K.

Warmly, Ryan-Ashley.

Do you have a customer service growth story related to social media and community management? Send me a message. I would love to hear it!