Who Should Handle Social Media Customer Service?
Who Should Handle Social Media Customer Service?
Social media customer service is a dynamic and evolving aspect of customer relations management. Managing this efficiently requires the right skills, experience, and strategic approach. This article explores the roles and responsibilities involved in managing social media customer service and provides a detailed analysis of the best-suited individuals or teams for this task.The Right Person for the Job
Managing your social media customer service should ideally be the responsibility of someone with hands-on experience in the field. This can be internal, through promotion and cross-training, or external, through outsourcing. The key here is to have a team of experts dedicated to handling customer interactions on social media platforms.Internal Management: Promoting a promising customer service employee to a junior social media manager can be an effective strategy. This employee would work closely with the marketing department, combining customer-centric attitude with the technical skills required for social media communication. This approach ensures that the employee gains the necessary skills while also reducing turnover and job dissatisfaction.
Your employee will be happy to move into a role that offers more challenge and social interaction. This individual will already have the required customer-centric attitude, which is essential for effective social media communication. Cross-training is crucial, especially in smaller organizations, to ensure smooth career progression.The Current State of Customer Service
If you are managing customer service in traditional ways already, such as through phone, email, or in-person interactions, extending these roles to include social media communication can be a sensible decision. The transition should not be haphazard; it requires a strategic plan and the right personnel.Combining Customer Service and Social Media: Working with service-oriented people who understand and use social media to communicate with others is essential. These individuals can be trained with existing customer service scripts and role-playing exercises to handle social media interactions effectively. This approach not only ensures consistency in customer service but also leverages the strengths of both teams.
Avoiding Role Mismatches
It is important to avoid having marketers or public relations (PR) people manage social media customer service, as their primary expertise lies in marketing and communication rather than customer service. Historically, social media has fallen under marketing and PR, and while these departments can play a role, it is crucial to maintain a clear delineation of responsibilities. Let marketing manage aspects of social media that relate to their functions, while customer service handles areas specific to their expertise.Strategic Social Media Management: An effective social strategy is the foundation of a successful customer service approach. Start by developing a comprehensive social media strategy that outlines goals, targets, and key performance indicators (KPIs). From there, the implementation details will unfold, ensuring that customer service and marketing teams work in harmony rather than conflict.