Social media networks have done more than just connect long-lost friends and make constant communication easier. For businesses, they have revolutionized the way customer service performs, minimizing the gap between the consumer and the provider and allowing two-way communication to occur seamlessly 24 hours a day. So far, this method has proven beneficial on both sides, but requires a different form of training for workers.
When aspiring business professionals study the most successful customer service teams at leading companies across the country, they'll soon realize that these are also the businesses that adopt the changing standards of how to interact with customers.
Essentially, there are two different ways that customers perceive a problem - it's their own fault, or the company is to blame.
"When it is our fault we push away and get a bit defensive about it even if we do not think about what we are doing," Darren Dahl, a marketing professor, told the Financial Post. "We are feeling threatened by our own inabilities and we get a little bit of a hate-on, so to speak, for the organization or company. That is where the complaining does not help at all."
Make Customers Happy
Many global businesses have caught on to social media methods and use them fully, demonstrating to consumers they are the number one priority. One example of this is Zappos, an online retail company that has embraced a 24/7 social media customer service initiative. They are just one of many businesses that show how personal communication can become through these channels, allowing very specific questions to be answered quickly and efficiently.
According to Forbes, Zappos plans on developing its strategies beyond just Facebook and Twitter. They will start expanding on platforms like Tumblr, Polyvore, Reddit and Tout, just a few other social media tools that have taken off over the past few years.
Stay Up-to-Date
Anyone entering the business realm, whether for administrative work, sales or, of course, customer service, should be well-informed about the latest developments in social media. Knowing how to use the basics has practically become a requirement, but if a student can enlighten a potential manager of a new platform, they might have a good chance of impressing their future boss and helping themselves land the job.
Students who are ready to start their business careers can enroll in business courses at Reeves College. For more information, fill out the form on the right.