The days when customers would put up with “hold music” and sit in a call centre queue are well and truly over, according to a new study, which heralds the arrival of the “social customer” – who expects to interact with brands on their own terms.
According to the report, “The Future of Customer Service”, commissioned First Direct, and authored by social media consultancy ItsOpen, 2011 was the tipping point where social media entered the mainstream.
Customers now expect to be heard and respected by companies when they post about them online; they expect to be able to interact with companies via their smartphones and tablet computers; and most of all they expect a swift response.
The rise of the social customer has prompted the growth of the social company – the company that listens to its customers, interacts with them and asks them to contribute to and collaborate in future developments. The pioneer social companies are already seeing that the social customer is helping them to improve the bottom line.
First Direct head of brand and communications Natalie Cowen said: “We started to recognise some time ago that the tide was turning and a customer service revolution was taking place this time in social media. Our early response was to introduce Talking Point and became the first bank to give customers their chance to say, live and unedited, how they felt about the bank.
‘This was swiftly followed with the launch of the firstdirect Lab, another first in the financial world and where crowd sourcing enables customers and prospects alike the opportunity to craft and tweak the banks products and services. More recently our launch of firstdirecthelp@twitter truly sets us on the path of customer service in the social environment.”
Justin Hunt, Founder of ItsOpen, said: “This report confirms what we have been hearing anecdotally over the last few months; the days of holding for ages to talk to a call centre adviser who can’t make a decision are about to be left behind. Customers now expect to be interacting and collaborating online with the brands they choose to do business with.
“2012 looks set to be the year of the social customer. It is up to companies to catch up, engage with these valuable brand advocates and make the most of the opportunities offered by social media. Companies are finally moving on from 20th century models of customer service”
Dr Andrew Currah, the report’s author, said: “There are some hurdles that companies need to overcome before they can start to make the most of the new breed of social customer. Company executives must embrace the potential of digital communication – social media isn’t just something their children engage with.
“When social media permeates an organisation and moves beyond the ‘silos’ that many companies put it in, it allows the social company to deliver high quality customer service and compelling products based on the insights its customers provide. Simply leaving social media to the PR or marketing department will never allow a company to engage in online customer conversations, react to issues and eventually turn customer relations channels into revenue earners in the way that the pioneer social companies already do.”
