Customers prefer social media as their care channel, but they demand faster and more personalized responses, according to a new study released by Amdocs.
The study identified social media as an emerging channel for consumers seeking customer-care assistance. The research highlights an opportunity for service providers to improve the customer experience and reduce call center costs. By linking customers’ socialmedia identities to their profiles stored in the customer relationship management (CRM) system, and using big data analytics techniques to identify important social media shouts, service providers can pre-empt calls or even better resolve the issue before the call reaches the call center.
The study comprised two projects: A survey exploring service providers’ customer care readiness on social media conducted by Ovum, and a separate survey conducted by Coleman Parkes that examined consumer attitudes toward social media as a customer-care channel.
Here are some of the study’s key takeaways:
· 68% of service providers believe their customers take to social media such as Twitter or Facebook because they are unable to reach a care agent on the phone. But the reality is that 50% of consumers actually prefer using social media to reach their service provider rather than call the contact center.
· 50% of customers have tried to communicate with their service provider for customer service on social media, yet three quarters never received a response or resolution, leaving a frustrated 80% of those citing that they have no choice but to call the call center.
· 52% of consumers expect a response within 30 minutes of their social media contact, but only 24% of service providers say they respond within that timeframe.
· 64% of customers say they would be willing to share their social identities with their service providers in return for better service and 48% would like to receive relevant, personalized offers from their service providers via social media.