The Risks of Social Media Customer Service

Over the years many start-ups, consultants, marketers and PR leaders have told me how the future of Customer Service is social media. We watched numerous companies build tools to make such interactions easier, trackable, and offer similar metrics similar to a call. We have totally operationalized what in reality is only a stopgap measure.

Before you think that I have fallen off my rocker, please hear me out. I know many have made careers or built business models out of social media servicing. I have even written a book on the topic, but my focus has never shifted. I remember all too well the days when we started social media Customer Service. At the time people were creating websites suggesting that my former employer needed to die. There was a true crisis going on for that brand, similar to one that impacted a major computer manufacturer a year or so before. There was a clear message to both of those brands that their Customers were demanding to be heard, and the companies change. People were never clamoring for social service, they were clamoring for the companies involved to change how they treated their Customer. They were demonstrating and proving that in this new reality of social media, they [the Customers] control the brand.

I have studied Customer Service conversations for years. First Customer Service, especially calls, is typically a failure of Customer experience. Unfortunately, we do not often get service right, and that, if you are lucky, turns into service recovery. If you are not so lucky it turns into a lost Customer. In some cases Customers may be locked into your company for some reason, and then it just turns into a Customer that despises your business. Service recovery is often found in survey results, monitoring calls, CEO emails and countless other ways. I have studied social media Customer Service discussions for years, and I have found these should be lumped into the service recovery bucket. Service via traditional channels fails, so your Customer turns to the web to shame your brand into helping them in the way your should of through other channels. For some companies, this channel has treated Customers better than any other, so you have trained your Customer to blast your brand publicly for help. Smooth move!

I was reading an article about a prank made against Customers of a company following tweets they made. The Customers complained on social media, someone saw those complaints and looked up their phone number (this is not difficult because many social media accounts have names of the person as well as the town they reside). Often with a quick Google search you can locate a phone number, even unlisted ones. They called and acted like they were with the company and purposely treated the Customer horribly. These examples appear to be pranks but it really caused me to think about all the many risks of social media Customer Service.

Besides pranks being played against your brand, on and offline, there are many other risks that are not often considered regarding social media Customer Service. Here are a few that are on my mind:

• Reputation Risk - You are encouraging your Customer to air your dirty laundry demonstrating to the world the poor service you have provided through other channels. The conversations are easy to follow, and search can highlight the same problems day after day. The key is companies MUST fix what is broken. Create the right experience so your Customers do not feel the need to shame you.
• Regulatory Risk - Just like you are listening to social media, so are regulators. Your dirty laundry is out in the open. I think they would want you to respond, but you have to understand the longer term impact. They may not see it as your company is responsive, particularly if they track down the first tweets or posts.
• Private Data - Many companies exchange data publicly, or via private or direct message in these social media channels. Since your company may not control the social media channel, you can not ensure the true privacy of the data. This places the company and the Customer at risk.
• Security Risk for the Customer - Have you heard of social engineering? The more data available about someone the easier you can phish for information or cause them to do something that could hurt them physically, emotionally or financially. The prank above could have easily turned into much worse scenario because the Customers believed they were talking to the company. They could have easily set up an appointment for someone to enter their home, paid money to the individual or so much more. The list goes on and on!

I have never viewed social media Customer Service as something you should encourage Customers to do, just like I would not encourage Customers to yell on the street corner for service. At the same time, if a Customer was yelling on the street corner, I would help them, just as I would if a Customer was talking in social media. There are a few key items that you must consider regarding social media Customer Service:

• It is service recovery, and you must fix what is broken not encourage more to the channel.
• Speed is everything! The pranks discussed above could never have happened if the company was faster at responding.
• Give your Customers easy ways to share feedback with the company, so they do not feel the need to blast you publicly. They need to know that you are listening to them.
• Create positive experiences that people want to talk about, instead of talking about your bad service.
• Actions speak louder than words.
• Listen and truly understand your Customers!