Research shows customers are using social media to complain

It is one of the common calls, these days, that businesses looking to have a good level of control over the experience their customer have with the their products or services should be looking at tracking social media. That, so we are told, is where modern users are going to be voicing their opinions, for good or ill.

Now there is some research available that gives a sign of this trend in action. It comes from NewVoiceMedia, which provides cloud-delivered contact centre technology, and shows that over one third (34 percent) of US consumers now take their revenge online following inadequate customer service; spreading the complaint across their network and beyond.

Thanks to social media, internet forums and review channels, modern consumers have a convenient public platform at their fingertips and will spread negative sentiment about a business without thinking twice. The survey of 2,030 adults from the United States showed that the figure nearly doubled, to59.3 percent, among 25-34 year-olds. This clearly demonstrates the generational importance of a channel that’s likely to explode in relevance as young consumers’ spending power increases.

While 64 percent of those surveyed stated that traditional forms of communication such as email and phone were their preferred means of complaining for a fast response, more than a quarter of `Gen Y’ and `millennials’ (those aged 16 to 34) believe social media is the most effective means of issue resolution, with Facebook proving to be the favoured social network for interacting with businesses.

One respondent explained, the process “The risk of getting other people's attention will cause the service providers to act quickly.”

However, the significance consumers place on excellent service presents opportunities as well as threats, as organisations can boost their business by getting it right, even turning complainants into advocates by prioritising the service they receive through other channels.

Seventy percent of respondents said that good service had a considerable influence on their loyalty and 69 percent would recommend the company to others. Half would use the business more frequently and 42 percent are prepared to spend more money with them.

NewVoiceMedia offers social media routing through its cloud contact centre solution ContactWorld which integrates with salesforce.com and enables agents to identify callers with specific social media data before their call is answered, and prioritise accordingly.

“Not long ago, customers would tell friends and family if they were dissatisfied with service they’d received. While this is damaging to a brand, it’s not nearly as powerful and immediate as customers who take their complaints online; particularly as consumers are increasingly turning online to read about others’ experiences before choosing a product or supplier,” said Jonathan Gale, CEO at NewVoiceMedia, which commissioned the research.

“Over the next few years we expect to see these statistics soar as the younger generation matures. Customers want personalised and engaging experiences every time, through every channel. Great customer experience is the critical differentiator and by doing it well, organisations can drive the customer acquisition, retention and efficiency that make leading companies successful.”