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These days, it can be difficult to find great customer service. Go into your local big box store and ask a question and you’ll likely be met with blank stares or a snide remark. But contrary to popular belief, great customer service is not dead! A dying art maybe, but not totally dead – and your agency can bring it back.
You are already providing great customer service in person and over the phone, but if you’re not taking advantage of social media, you are missing out on a huge opportunity for customer service!
Your insurance social networking sites are the perfect place to speak to customers and help them with their issues. Your clients are already on these sites talking to one another (possibly about you), so it’s your responsibility to become part of the conversation. But how?
- Seek out customers talking about you. Do a quick Twitter and Facebook search for your agency name, and any variations of it. Be proactive and respond to people who are talking about you, even if they’re not asking you a question.
- Answer as soon as possible. When someone posts something directly to you, do your best to answer as soon as possible. Try setting up alerts for your phone or email so you get a notification the second someone mentions you. Responding quickly shows customers that you care about what they have to say.
- Answer every single message. Don’t skip over anyone, because that person will see you’ve responded to others and become upset. Ignoring a customer on social media is the equivalent of hanging up on someone while on the phone.
- Direct the customer to another outlet, if necessary. If the issue is personal, or requires you to gain more information about the customer, urge them to call you or email you. You do not want to invade anyone’s privacy publicly.
- Let each interaction serve as an example. When a customer visits your Facebook or Twitter pages and sees you’ve been answering questions and thanking customers, you’ll gain more credibility. Try not to delete posts without responding. There are exceptions to this rule of course (inappropriate content, etc.), so use your best judgment.
- Keep track of issues. To cover yourself, try taking screenshots of every post you respond to; you’ll have a record of what was originally posted in case something goes wrong. You can also take a good look at the most common questions and use this information to improve your own services.
It’s important to remember bad news travels at the speed of light on sites like Facebook and Twitter, so if someone has a bad experience and writes about it, it’s imperative that you rectify the situation immediately. And don’t forget that everything you put out there online is public. Be friendly, calm, and helpful, and you’ll have a huge community of supporters in no time!
