PR pros have started to use it for real time and to-the-point media relations. But there are other publics that can be easily reached through this micro-blogging platform. Twitter can be also used for customer relations. From airlines to coffee shops Twitter “bonds” companies and clients.
The question is: can there be a twit center instead of a call center?
It is easy to ask a question and receive an answer via Twitter, isn’t it? Just type the 140-character question and you will receive the 140-character answer. Why bother to call when you can be “enlightened” (this word reminds of one of the greatest professors we had in college - Edu:)) for free? Some companies do have free-of-charge call centers, but there are some which have not.
Using Twitter as "call center" has advantages as well as disadvantages. The good news is clients do not have to listen to the call waiting song until an operator becomes available any longer. Things with Twitter can happen in real time and this is the beauty of it. But real time in this case means human resources. The "many" operators and clients still exist. Luckily we have Tweet Deck, which allows the same account to be handled from more computers. Moreover, lists of people followed can be made. So things can get easy: make lists based on criteria (e.g. geography, fidelity and so on), install Tweet Deck on more computers and let the twitoperators do their job.
We still have to deal with two more issues: character restrain and privacy issues. Asking a question in 140 characters is not an easy job. Nor is answering one. Being to the point might prevent the twitoperator from understanding the problem. Further information means more tweets. More tweets can be difficult to manage.
Then we have the privacy issue. For example if you call the internet provider to ask a question you will have to provide some personal data in order to prove you really are their client. Are we willing to give up our privacy?
What do you think?
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Insightful idea Raluca. I think a good example of a microblogging customer care center is @Southwestair (I will direct message you the url too). They function like a call center online answering questions about lost or missing luggage and customer complaints, while also incorpating PR elements into their discussion about the customer experience and building relationships with passengers and users at large. For example, they wish people safe flights and when there was a crisis with Hollywood Director Kevin Smith, they handled the situation very openly and transparently through Twitter as well. From a privacy perspective, if a call center is going to be a fully operational business program, the organization will need to develop policies and procedures around the secure collection and use of client information. For more about personal security, check out my most recent Tweet!
ReplyDeleteI actually provided the same airline as an example:) But thanks for providing more details about on they handle things.
ReplyDeleteI noticed! I went back to check out your links after my first read and there it was! Looks like we're on the same page :)
ReplyDeleteYes we are!
ReplyDeleteI think that it could be a good thing in the future, but now I see a lot of disadvantages.
ReplyDeleteFirst of all, when you need to make a complaint about something, the most probable thing it is that you have a mobile to call, but not a computer in front of you to write a tweet. Maybe in the future when the people use more Internet in their mobiles will be better.
Another thing, it is that people feel more comfortable and confident when they speak with other people and not with machines, and more when they need to give their personal data (the question of the privacy that you say in your post)
The last thing is that the social media are not using for a lot of people yet, and not all the targets know how to use it and access to it. For that reason, I said before that maybe in the future this tool could function, but not nowadays.
Thanks for the comment Maria! Indeed we "all" have mobile phones (in Romania people have 2 on average...) and not a computer. Social media is however increasingly accessed through mobile phones. There are some disadvantages indeed and maybe you are right to say Twitter can be a real call center in the future. But today it is a great tool to keep in touch with clients who are online and manage customer relations.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Marie, in the future social media sites such as Twitter etc will become increasingly utilized as communication tools. However as we move toward this, it is important that companies do not alienate the non IT savvy customers.
ReplyDeleteA recent independent customer satisfaction survey conducted among our passengers (I work for an airline) revealed that only 6% of our customers book tickets on-line. This begs the question, how many customers would we actually be reaching if we communicate through social media channels – currently, it could be argued, less than 94%.
Social media tools are important, we need to understand and use them to reinforce communications but we also need to be aware of our customers need and wants and not become victims of our own hype surrounding social media!
What a surprise! Only 6%? I find it so much easier to book online. I would check in online also but the airlines I travel with are not that advanced yet:) For sure companies should not move online and forget about the rest. But they should integrate social media in their strategy if necessary. Indeed surveys can provide a picture if something works or not for your particular clients. Btw, I think PR for airlines is very cool:)
ReplyDeleteKatherine, I think the alientation factor you speak of is true but that the 6% research stat may need some context with your flying demographic. For instance, if 44% of your client base is in the under 30 demographic and not booking online, this can change with better marketing + focus on privacy policy given they are likely already using other social media tools and internet-based communication sites. It will come naturally to make that shift. If they are predominantly baby boomers of which some are tech-savvy and like to learn while others do not, that again would impact your strategic view of how much to concentrate your company's strategic efforts on digital communications. Over time, the non-IT savvy customer is becoming a thing of the past, it's just a matter of determining when that might be based on your stats.
ReplyDelete