Social media has so rapidly become a ubiquitous part of our day to day lives. In 2008, only 29% of adult internet users said they used a social networking site, and now according to Pew Research that number has risen above 65%. Now more and more organizations are realizing the significance of social media. If this resource is not utilized not only will your organization miss out on the myriad of benefits that emerge from it, but your organization will also fall behind the rest. Customer Service optimization is one of the attributes of social media that can be extremely useful, and still many organizations utilizing social media don’t take advantage.
Social media is a perfect venue to aid in customer service optimization. Social media is instantaneous and provides real time information to organizations and individuals; this service is invaluable. As in the case of the Northeastern earthquake, people were unable to check and see if their family members and friends were safe through calling due to the extraordinarily high level of telephone call traffic. People were able to communicate through social media, however. 3 million statuses contained the word earthquake that day. This showcases not only the value of the real time data, but the worth social media has under to times of crisis.
Another advantage is that organizations can communicate directly with customers, on their terms. This direct method is also simpler to the average customer because it is a form of communication they are very familiar with and can operate skillfully. For these reasons social media can only increase the volume of satisfied customer service feedback and expedite the process greatly.
The President even issued this statement regarding Government agencies’ customer service optimization in April 2011 in hisExecutive Order 13571, Streamlining Service Delivery and Improving Customer Service, “The public deserves competent, efficient, and responsive service from the Federal Government. Executive departments and agencies must continuously evaluate their performance in meeting this standard and work to improve it.”
So it is time that government agencies catch up to the speed of their citizens and utilize social media to its maximum capabilities.
