Workforce Management Featured Article
Social Media Can Be the Answer to Your Workforce Management Headaches
It wasn’t that long ago that social media sites were banned on work computers. Considered a time waster, IT quickly blocked the sites once they gained in popularity. And, while it’s easy to lose yourself in a Facebook (News - Alert) feed or searching Pinterest Boards, there’s also an opportunity for connection. In the contact center today, workforce management is not about blocking social media access, but instead embracing it for interaction.
In marketing, social media has become an effective channel for pushing information, connecting with the target audience and interacting for brand recognition. Some channels, are not serving their purpose in this way alone. Twitter (News - Alert), for instance, is an effective channel for customer service more so than marketing. The platform is instant and spurs immediate engagement. But not all industries have leveraged the channel to its full capabilities.
Hotels are notoriously bad for their use of Twitter as a channel for customer service. For the most part, it’s a failure in workforce management as decision makers didn’t properly anticipate the volume of traffic over Twitter. As a result, hotels take up to seven hours to respond to Twitter inquiries. What’s worse, according to a post in 4 Hoteliers, less than 20 percent of those posting receive a reply. This approach also ignores the potential for proactive engagement.
Hotels, like every other industry, have the opportunity to monitor Twitter feeds for comments and step in and help those who need it. For instance, the stranded traveler in a particular city could gain an immediate booking. The traveler who complains about overbooking at a particular brand can get assistance from that brand in a booking elsewhere. It’s great way to directly connect with the audience and drive a positive experience.
An American Express (News - Alert) Customer Service Barometer, noted in a Business Today article, shows that companies in India must be able to interact with consumers via social media. In fact, Indians are proving that social media is an effective channel for interaction as 71 percent have used social media at least once in the last 12 months for customer service purposes. The same survey found that 89 percent of Indian consumers are willing to spend more with a company that provides good customer service.
Social media can also be a way for companies to implement damage control. Southwest Airlines recently demonstrated just how powerful the channel can be when a computer glitch prevented flight check in for some passengers. This glitch caused delays throughout the country. Southwest didn’t just react to the onslaught of complaints and inquiries, the company brought all Twitter hands on deck and engaged customers directly to help them solve their problem and complete a task a glitch prevented.
The point is, social media is so much more than a time waster in the productive office environment. It’s a way to engage customers and deliver better customer service. The key is to leverage your workforce management platform to allow for proper forecasting and scheduling within the multichannel environment. In doing so, you’ll stay ahead of the social media interaction trend and make it work for you towards happier and more satisfied customers.
Edited by Stefania Viscusi