Despite the fact that more and more consumers expect to be able to engage with a brand on whichever channel they choose, enterprises are still having a tough go at answering customer service questions on the various social media networks.
According to a new survey conducted by management consulting firm The Northridge Group, 33 percent of consumers who contact brands with a customer service question on social media never get a response at all.
By not answering questions via social media, brands are putting themselves at risk of losing out on sales, decreasing brand loyalty and having an overall negative reputation online (which of course can not only hurt a company's bottom line but also have a negative impact on search rankings as their website traffic can decrease, bounce rate increase, etc.). Other highlights from the report include:
- 76 percent of consumers have to engage with a brand two or more times on social media before a customer service inquiry or issue is resolved, the highest of any channel
- 40 percent of respondents would be more likely to use social if they got a faster acknowledgement of customer service issue
- One-third of respondents say social media doesn't meet their expectations