social media for support - service strategies · social media creates a channel that lets anyone...

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Social Media for SupportSocial Media for SupportImplications and Opportunities for SupportImplications and Opportunities for Support

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www.ServiceXRG.com

OverviewOverview

Section 1Section 1 How Social Media is Changing the g gCustomer Support Landscape

Section 2Section 2 Customer Use of Social Media

Section 3Section 3 Current Social Media Practices

Section 4Section 4 Developing a Social Media Strategy for Support


Support

The SocialThe SocialThe Social The Social Media Media How Social Media is How Social Media is

Changing the Customer Changing the Customer ImpactImpact

g gg gSupport Landscape Support Landscape

Social MediaSocial MediaSocial MediaSocial Media


The “Social Web” DefinedThe “Social Web” DefinedIt is what we do with social media that matters mostIt is what we do with social media that matters most

Social media platforms createplatforms create the opportunity

to organize individuals into communities ofcommunities of

interest

Individuals participate in

communities to consume or share

ideas, opinions and content


Social Media is the Catalyst Driving the Social Media is the Catalyst Driving the Transformation of the SocialTransformation of the Social--WebWeba s o at o o t e Soc aa s o at o o t e Soc a ebeb

The primary function The primary function of the web is evolving of the web is evolving from the search andfrom the search andfrom the search and from the search and

retrieval of information retrieval of information to the creation and to the creation and

sharing of sharing of observations and observations and

opinions.opinions.pp


The SocialThe Social--WebWebUnregulated, Democratic and DynamicUnregulated, Democratic and Dynamicg , yg , y

Social media creates a channel that lets anyone interact yand influence the market.

Social media is a phenomenon with no single company, web site or user group at its core.

Individuals can create or join most communities of interest or simply monitor the discussions as spectatorsinterest or simply monitor the discussions as spectators.

Community participation results in the development of massive amounts of new contentmassive amounts of new content.

A community’s discussion and its tone can influence the perceptions of members and spectators.


p p p

Social SupportSocial SupportNew Channels for Service & SupportNew Channels for Service & Supportpppp

Social media creates opportunities forSocial media creates opportunities for individuals to connect and communicate with others with similar needs and interests.

The social-web has become a primary medium for the discussion and resolution of customer service and support issues.

8 out of 10 customer service and support related 8 out o 0 custo e se ce a d suppo t e atedissues are discussed and resolved without the direct involvement of the manufacturer.


The Essential Role of ServiceThe Essential Role of ServiceImplications' and OpportunitiesImplications' and Opportunities for Supportfor Supportp cat o s a d Oppo tu t esp cat o s a d Oppo tu t es o Suppo to Suppo t

The social media market creates phenomenal new popportunities to engage unknown and under-served customers.

Participating in communities creates opportunities to Participating in communities creates opportunities to positively influence community sentiment.

Monitoring relevant communities of interest provides early awareness of issues creating the opportunity for a timely responses.

Service organizations must proactively engage in the Service organizations must proactively engage in the relevant conversation related to their products and services and not simply wait for customers to call.


Customer Customer BehaviorsBehaviors

Customer Use of Social Customer Use of Social MediaMediaBehaviorsBehaviors

Customers Have Embraced SocialCustomers Have Embraced Social--MediaMedia

Customers prefer to help themselves and the social-b bl lf ffi iweb enables greater customer self-sufficiency.

Social media has helped to create a vast repository of knowledge and expertise to address many support-knowledge and expertise to address many supportrelated issues.

Most customers will connect to communities and social-web resources through a web searchsocial-web resources through a web search.

Some customers will actively participate in social communities to discuss support-related issues.

Customers are very satisfied with the accessibility and quality of information they find through the social-web.


Where do Customers Look for HelpWhere do Customers Look for HelpAssisted vs. SelfAssisted vs. Self--HelpHelp

The majority of customers indicate that the first thing they do when they need help is to try to solve the

problem on their ownproblem on their own.


Where do Customers Look for HelpWhere do Customers Look for HelpSelfSelf--Help PreferencesHelp Preferences

Customers are most likely to search the entire web for an answer versus using social networks or vendor self-

service resourcesservice resources.


Where Customers Find AnswersWhere Customers Find Answers

100%

Customers are more likely to find answers using a web search.

48 9%

30.8%80% Always – 100%

30.8%

48.9%

60%Almost Always – 80% to 99%

Most of the time – 60% to 79%

7.7%35.6%40%

Often – 40% to 59%

Sometimes – 26% to 39%

8.9%7.7%4.4%

23.1%

0%

20% Seldom – < 25%


Search Engine Self-Service

The Quality of Answers FoundThe Quality of Answers Found

Customers indicate that information they find through a web search is of a higher quality than vendor self-service resources.

42 1%

11.5%

80%

100%

68.9%

42.1%

60%

80%Excellent

Good68.9%

52.6%

40% Fair

5.3%19.7%

0%

20%Poor


5.3%0%

Search Engine Self-Service

Social Community EngagementSocial Community Engagement

When customers identify communities withWhen customers identify communities with useful content and demonstrated expertise they will take a more active role.

Once customers identify a community they “trust” they engage in the community discussion.y g g y

Most discussions focus on non-critical issues, but some vibrant communities will discuss but so e b a t co u t es d scusscritical issues.


Issues DiscussedIssues DiscussedHow to vs. Functional IssuesHow to vs. Functional Issues

Anyone know how to…

Now what I want to

The Social-Web is full of people looking for help with specific issues and how-to related

topics

Can I get…

Now what I want to know is..

topics.

Any ideas how to resolve?

Has anyone hadHas anyone had this problem…

What I want to do is…

How do I…

I need assistance


I need assistance in resolving this

issue…

Issues DiscussedIssues DiscussedAllocation by SymptomAllocation by Symptom

The majority of issues discussed relate to products not working as expected, performance and errors.

12.3%

47.0%

Crash

Error

11.4%

11.9%

Malware

Cannot Connect

4.7%

8.1%

Physical Damage

Slow Performance

3.8%

4.7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Wont Start

y g


0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Issues DiscussedIssues DiscussedAllocation by SeverityAllocation by Severity

Customers discuss issues of varying degrees of severity even issues that result in lost productivity

and/or data

80%

100%

and/or data.

68.6%

60%

80%

14.3% 17.1%20%

40%

0%

20%

Severity 1 Severity 2 Severity 3


y y y

Room to VentRoom to Vent

_ _ _ customer service for _ _ _ is outstanding. I only wish they made computers (I have a _ _ _ - never again just because of _ _ _ customer

i )service)

Will I ever recommend another _ _ _ product - NO. They didn't even respond to my complaint!

Customer service for an _ _ _ was VERY poor. Essentially they advised that I throw it away and buy another one.

Anyone else have this issue or have a frustrating experience with ?Anyone else have this issue or have a frustrating experience with _ _ _?

I've had good luck with _ _ _ customer service before but not this time…

My problem started out like yours I suspected this problem wasMy problem started out like yours. I suspected this problem was widespread…

This is a very pathetic and sad company! I seriously cannot believe i bought


bought _ _ _.

Social Media for SupportSocial Media for Support

Customers have embraced social media forCustomers have embraced social media for support.

The vast majority of social media “transactions” The vast majority of social media transactions are searches for information.

When customers do post to a social site it is to When customers do post to a social site it is to ask or answer a question.

The least frequent social media activity is to post The least frequent social media activity is to post a complaint or compliment about a product or vendor


vendor.

Support Support PracticesPractices

Current Social Media Current Social Media PracticesPracticesPracticesPractices

Corporate Social Media StrategiesCorporate Social Media Strategies

70% of Companies Have Corporate Social Media Strategies


Key Corporate Social ActivitiesKey Corporate Social Activities

89 8%Marketing

84.3%

89.8%

Monitor CustomerComments

Communications

69.4%Respond to CustomerComments (non technical)

27 8%

42.6%

Technical Support

Contests and LoyaltyPrograms

27.8%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Technical Support


Most Important SitesMost Important Sites

4.1Company BrandedDiscussion Groups

3.8

4.0

Micro blogs

Social Communities

Discussion Groups

3 5

3.8

3.8

User Group Discussions

Blogs

Micro blogs

3.3

3.5

Third-Party DiscussionGroups and Forums

and Forums

3.1

0 1 2 3 4 5

Review Sites


Support Involvement with Media StrategiesSupport Involvement with Media Strategies

65% of Support Organizations are Engaged with Social Media but less than a quarter are formal initiatives.


24.7% Formally Deliver Support via Social 24.7% Formally Deliver Support via Social ChannelsChannelsC a e sC a e s

25%

20%

19 5%10%

15%

19.5%

5 2%5%

0%

5.2%0%

Corporate Social Initiative No Corporate Social Initiative


Top Reasons for Support’s Involvement with Social Top Reasons for Support’s Involvement with Social MediaMedia

Respond to customer

37 8%

45.9%

Attempt to reach customersthat do not use other

Respond to customerdemand

24.3%

37.8%

Offer a lower cost supporth l

that do not use othersupport channels

21.6%

24.3%

Protect company andproduct reputation

channel

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

product reputation


Sites Where Support is OfferedSites Where Support is Offered

80 4%Company Branded

58.7%

80.4%

User Group Discussionsand Forums

Discussion Groups

52.2%Twitter

41 3%

50.0%

Third-Party Discussion

Facebook

41.3%

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90%

Groups


Who Responds to Social Media RequestsWho Responds to Social Media Requests


Social Media Monitoring by SupportSocial Media Monitoring by Support


Types of Sites Support MonitorsTypes of Sites Support Monitors

80.8%Social Communities

65.4%

75.0%

Blogs

Company Branded DiscussionGroups and Forums

57 7%

65.4%

65.4%

User Group Discussions and

Micro blogs

g

51.9%

57.7%

Third-Party DiscussionGroups

Forums

48.1%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Review Sites


Social Media Site Monitoring MethodSocial Media Site Monitoring Method


Social Media Monitoring ObjectivesSocial Media Monitoring Objectives

80.8%Feedback about servicequality

80.8%Feedback about products

quality

69.2%

78.8%

Top Satissatisfiers

Top Issues

57 7%

65.4%

S ti t

Top Dissatisfiers

57.7%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Sentiment


Social Media Success MetricsSocial Media Success Metrics

56.0%Number of Customers Served (Answers)

40.0%

56.0%

Sentiment

Increase in positive comments or reviews

28 0%

32.0%

40.0%

Decrease in negative comments or reviews

Fast time to answer customer questions

Likes

20.0%

24.0%

28.0%

Case Deflection

Community Growth

Decrease in negative comments or reviews

20.0%

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

Lower cost to provide service


Support Practices and BehaviorsSupport Practices and Behaviors

Support is slower to embrace social media than their ppcustomers and other parts of the company (e.g. Marketing).

When support does engage in social media activities it is most often informal.

Less than a third of companies provide support to Less than a third of companies provide support to customers via social channels.

The most common social activities for support areThe most common social activities for support are monitoring and marketing.


Social Media Social Media for Supportfor Support

Developing a Social Developing a Social Media Strategy for Media Strategy for for Supportfor Support gygy

SupportSupport

Five Steps to Get Started with a Social Media Five Steps to Get Started with a Social Media StrategyStrategySt ategySt ategy

Indentify Communities of Interest – Identify the sites and communities where current or prospective customers are talking about the company’swhere current or prospective customers are talking about the company s products and services and focus efforts and strategy on that part of the social media universe. In other words, don’t boil the ocean.

Problem / Opportunity Statement – Establish the problem or opportunity statement that will be used to justify the time effort and resources requiredstatement that will be used to justify the time, effort, and resources required to develop and execute a social media strategy..

Establish Goals – Define type and level of impact they wish to have, and what they want their social media strategy to achieve. Their goal may be as simple as increasing their understanding of what customers think of thesimple as increasing their understanding of what customers think of the company’s products.

Listen and Learn – Before investing in technology, increasing headcount, or making changes to the way they do business, support should monitor the discussions within targeted communities of interestdiscussions within targeted communities of interest.

Coordinate with Corporate – Many companies are developing social media strategies. These may be corporate-wide initiatives or driven by one or more departments. Be aware of and contribute to the development of a corporate wide social media strategy but don’t let it diminish the need to


corporate-wide social media strategy, but don t let it diminish the need to achieve strategic service goals, nor delay efforts to incorporate social media into existing support processes now.

Developing a Social Media Developing a Social Media SupportSupport StrategyStrategy

Only a small number of social media communities will yultimately matter.

Support shouldn’t treat social media as a completely new initiative; it’s an enhancement of what they’re already doing.

The initial foray into social media does not need to The initial foray into social media does not need to include direct intervention.

In early stages a strategy may simply involve passivelyIn early stages, a strategy may simply involve passively monitoring a few select forums .

The key to success is to focus and generate short-term


y gbenefits.

social media for support - service strategies · social media creates a channel that lets anyone...

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