Will social media replace personal customer service?

The fact that I work in marketing means I’ve been consumed with social media for a few years now. I still consult with experts at various agencies and marketing firms, and I network with my fellow marketing “geeks” from time to time. Why? Because I’m not totally convinced I really have a handle on the social media phenomenon. I have a blog. I’m also on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter, but still find it difficult to keep pace with all those environments.

Maybe because social media flies in the face of all the marketing rules I learned years ago in college (craft a message, find the biggest audience you can and blast that message down their throats as many times as you can afford too), or maybe because by definition of social media is constantly in flux. Social Media Marketing (SMM) is the exact opposite of marketing efforts from the last century. Now we “invite” people to discuss how they feel about us and our brands, instead of telling them how they should feel.

I’m not alone either. A recent poll of marketing professionals conducted by Alterian, a marketing platform provider, found that, “Social media posses the greatest challenge to engaging customers today.” So, don’t feel bad if you’re challenged with it too! I’m often asked if social media will replace customer service in the near future. My response is that it will have an effect, and we will need to expand our definition of customer service.

Will social media replace personal customer service? No, I don’t think so any more than online shopping would totally replace retail establishments, which is what I heard in the late 90s and early 2000s (does anyone remember pets.com?).  What happened was not a destruction of brick and mortar shopping experiences, but a much more efficient integration of online and in-store shopping (click and mortar). I think social media and customer service will go through the same type of blending process.

If we expand our definition of customer service to include “customer experience,” it’s easier to see how these social networks can aid our service efforts. Customers and guests are now experiencing us virtually. By reading online reviews, blogs, and other social mediums, customers are researching your property via a new network. What they are reviewing are the customer service levels experienced by previous customers. We’ve been doing this for a long time. It just used to be called “word of mouth.” Today the mouths are virtual and on the Web, so there’s a lot more being said and a lot more people listening!

How do we ensure we’re being talked about in a positive manner and that our reviews are glowing? Start by monitoring the space. There are social media aggregators that will search for your company name in blogs, reviews and other networks. Work with a social media expert to find out what people are saying about you and how they are saying it.

Next, develop a social media strategy to include how you post news and highlight your hotel and your service levels. Learn how to create and update a Facebook page or Twitter account to allow your guests to follow you. They’ll feel like “insiders” with one quick click. 

Finally, always provide legendary customer service at the personal level. You don’t want to be transparent or perceived in a negative light among these social networks. Being good enough is NOT good enough. I find that when I engage in a legendary customer experience, I’m on my laptop posting about it on my blog and other sites within minutes. However, the same is true when the service is less than legendary. When I receive just adequate service, I say nothing. Give the social media voices only positive things to say about your hotel.

While social media won’t replace customer service, it will have a huge effect on how our customer service is perceived.