One of the many benefits of social media, according to
David M. Scott (2013), is that actively participating in in online communities
with consumers enables an organization to build and earn trust, sympathy and “patience
when something goes wrong” (p. 67). Be
it an online forum, Twitter, Facebook, or some other form of social media, the
Internet serves as a “massive focus group with uninhibited customers offering
up their thoughts for free!” (p. 64).
That’s one of the greatest lessons in Scott’s
discussion of social media and a brand’s targeted audience: that conversation
monitoring and participating in discussions (be they good or bad) is critical.
Having a social media presence proves “that you care about the people who spend
money with your organization” (p. 64).
Scott uses two examples on opposite ends of the
spectrum to illustrate his point:
- SONY BMG. After discovering that the anti-piracy software on Sony CD’s installed malware on his computer, Mark Russinovich took to his blog to air his grievances. Others quickly chimed in or wrote their own posts on the topic, calling for a boycott of Sony and accusing the brand of treating customers poorly. While the criticism gained momentum, Sony remained silent; it took five days for the President of the company to respond. Though an exchange system for the malware-affected CDs was eventually instituted, the damage had already been done; several lawsuits were filed (pp. 61-63).
- B&H Photo-Video. When Nikon released a hotly-anticipated camera, many turned to specialty store B&H Photo-Video to order the product. The only problem: Nikon changed its distribution model and included chains like Best Buy, so B&H couldn’t fulfill all of the orders it received. The backlash from the situation occurred in an online forum; the difference, however, is that a B&H employee actively participated in the forum while the conversation was happening. The employee was honest and apologetic in posting responses to customer concerns, and the tone of the conversation ultimately became less critical and more positive (pp. 66-67).
Overall, these examples illustrate how participating
in online discussions surrounding your brand can help build and maintain an
organization’s reputation. On the flip side, it also proves how avoiding these
conversations can be detrimental. Even further, we see that immediate response
is critical (42% of consumers demand it!).
References:
Akbar, A. (2013, Nov. 5). The Impact of Social Media On Customer Service. HubShout. Retrieved from: http://hubshout.com/?The-Impact-of-Social-Media-on-Customer-Service-[VIDEO-&-INFOGRAPHIC]&AID=1060
Scott, D.M. (2013) The New Rules of Marketing and
PR. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Hey Kait, insightful blog post! I also posted something similar about the positive side of monitoring online forums. I'm actually not too surprised by the stat involving 42% of people expecting brands to respond back within an hour. Everything is in real-time with social media, so many times, savvy companies want to respond back within a few minutes to a customer.
ReplyDeleteI liked that Scott presented two similar scenarios with different outcomes. Do you ever think there is a time when a company should stay silent on social media? I know that some issues involve sensitive matters, so I often wonder if there are any exceptions to the rule.
-Amanda
I like your question Amanda. And I think Kait's mention of Tim's advice is a salient position.
DeleteHowever, there is research available that tells us that taking the silent route is generally not a viable option because, when different representations of your brand or your actions are being communicated, the trustworthiness of your brand is at stake (C. van Woerkum & N. Aarts, 2008).
Yes, there will be times you have to wait to communicate (which are the times the lawyers win), but I believe we as communicators and marketers have to fight for the value and power of communication.
This article from Inc. magazine offers what I think are four good ways to deal with customer complaints via social media. Most are common sense, but all are good to be mindful of.
Mike
References:
Fertik, M. (Dec 2012).Customer Gripes: 4 Smart Ways to Respond Online. Inc. Magazine. Retrieved from http://www.inc.com/michael-fertik/4-keys-smart-social-media-response.html
van Woerkum, C. & Aarts, N. (2008). Staying connected: The communication between organizations and their environment. Corporate Communications, 13(2), 197-211. Bradford, UK: Emerald Group Publishing, Ltd. doi: 10.1108/13563280810869613
Mike,
DeleteGreat article with some great points. I think silence from a company in times of crisis or in addressing a complaint makes a consumer feel ignored; these four C's are great guidelines for avoiding that.
Kait
Amanda,
ReplyDeleteThat is a great question. I've seen Tim Massie say "Don't feed the trolls," so anything that seems like trolling behavior (classified here as harsh language, incredibly frequency of posts, inability to reason/listen) is a good time for a brand to stay silent.
Also important for brands, in cases that involve legal/personal/private/confidential/etc. issues to keep that sensitive information off of social media. But a response can still be crafted to let their audience know they acknowledge that something is happening.
Kait
Amanda makes an interesting point about taking action against negative or detrimental consumer comments. Erik Qualman says that “Negative comments and posts are easier for companies to find with social media. Hence, those companies have more time to focus on the solution rather than spending time finding the problem” (Qualman, 2013, p. 36).
DeleteTherefore, forums, blogs and other social groups should be used as a tool for both listening and reacting. At times, the best way is to direct consumer complains to a tab on the corporate website or a help desk number. Therefore, it’s equally as important for those supporting elements to be up-to-date and accessible 24/7. Can you think of any brands that are currently doing this well? One that comes to mind for me is Wells Fargo.
References:
Qualman, E. (2013). Socialnomics (2nd ed.). Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
This comment has been removed by the author.
DeleteAmanda BriefFebruary 12, 2014 at 6:47 PM
DeleteI agree that sometimes issues can be sensitive in nature especially for financial companies. After doing some research, I found that another company that does a great job of engaging with consumers is JPMorgan Chase.
In my opinion, I find it more personal when a company uses a representative to address a crisis issue or complaint rather than it coming from the corporate logo. JPMorgan Chase has specific individuals who respond to consumers, so they can literally request one of the representatives when they take to social media to address a complaint. I think that's pretty cool. It's almost like having your very own customer service rep.
-Amanda
Source:
The Ignored Side of Social Media: Customer Service. (2014, January 2). Retrieved February 12, 2014, from http://knowledge.wharton.upenn.edu/article/ignored-side-social-media-customer-service/
Kristen and Amanda,
DeleteI may have mentioned this at some point during last week's discussion, but I think JetBlue does a fantastic job of addressing customer complaints. They have an excellent, interactive "Contact Us" section of their corporate website that addresses some frequently asked questions. They also have an incredibly responsive social media team that answers flyers directly as they inquire/complain about delays, cancellations, etc.
Kait
I think you make some interesting points about the importance of monitoring and participating in social dialogue about your brand. David Meerman Scott teaches us that “ignoring forums can be hazardous to your brand, while participating as a member allows you to reap rewards” (Scott, 2013, p. 61).
ReplyDeleteNow that we all agree that it’s important, what are the key steps in monitoring and engaging? Whose job is it to monitor these conversations and how much time should they spend tracking discussions daily? Is it the social media manager, marketing director, PR manager or someone else? Who makes the call whether or not to respond to a post? How quickly should a company reply?
References
Scott, D.M. (2013) The New Rules of Marketing and PR. Hoboken, NJ: Wiley.
Kristen,
DeleteI think the answer all depends on the organization. One thing we've learned in past classes is to have plans and structures in place in times of crisis; though complaints aren't always deemed crisis, I think that proper planning can ensure that roles and responsibilities are clearly defined.
At the very least, the social media manager (or whomever is responsible for tweeting) should acknowledge posts, even if they need to direct the conversation to someone else in the organization. It's the same concept as "let me direct your call," essentially; acknowledge that you're listening, and connect them with the proper channel for the best response.
Kait
Hi Kait,
ReplyDeleteI like that you zoned in on the speed to answer aspect social media related inquiries and concerns. In our organization it's a topic of discussion for what an acceptable turn-around time is. We've found that when consumers email us via our contact us page, they are aligned with our response time of 24-48 hours. However, social media is a bit different. While we aim to respond within 2 hours, our company like many, are only responding during core business operating hours. The tough part about that is social networking tools are operational 24/7. As noted above, brands can re-direct consumers to their website FAQs to self-serve or to a live chat option if that is available. I've found several retail scenarios in my on-line shopping experience where I've opted for live chat and found so much value in that interaction. I felt it provided a customized one-on-one response specific to my needs and handled directly by the organization.
Do you feel that live chat falls under the social media consumer experience? How do you feel it measures against a forum communication platform?
Hey Tara, I agree. I am more prone to using a live chat versus calling a helpline (and being placed on hold) or sending an email and waiting a few days for a response. It also allows me to multi-task while I am at work and doing other assignments.
DeleteI would consider a live chat part of the social media experience though as it is another stepping stone for creating these two-way conversations with a company. You can ask for help, provide feedback to the company, etc. It's not a static ad in an advertisement or a national advertisement that hinders you from having the ability to comment or interact with the company.
Tara,
ReplyDeleteGreat insight! I think there are some organizations that can afford 24/7 social media monitoring, but that is not the case for everyone. My experience with live chat is limited; my health insurance company "offers" it, but it's not actually a live chat. Rather, it's an interactive system that searches for keywords in your questions and directs you to sections of the website that explain what you're looking for.
When it all boils down to it, people expect an immediate response on social media because that's what they would get if they called the customer service line. However, people don't call anymore; they'd rather use the medium they are more comfortable with. This article explains a bit more about how an organization can benefit from using live chat, and it helps fill in the gaps in my expertise.
Great question!
Kait
Kait - great job with posts for this week! I really enjoyed your insight on the importance of monitoring social dialogue and think you did a great job contributing and responding to classmates questions. I agree that the strategy for social media monitoring depends on the type of company, but regardless it is important for companies to respond immediately to consumer questions and concerns. Thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteI came onto your blog while focusing just slightly submits. Nice strategy for next, I will be bookmarking at once seize your complete rises
ReplyDeletegraphic designer