How to start a customer service operation in social media - Scup Ebook

SOCIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE

HOW TO START A
CUSTOMER SERVICE
OPERATION IN
SOCIAL MEDIA

From planning to
implementation: what you
really need to know about
social customer service to
interact more efficiently in
social media

A Scup publication

HOW TO START A CUSTOMER SERVICE OPERATION IN SOCIAL MEDIA 2

Starting point

We all know that companies are concerned
about customer service in social media. But
how should they implement a social customer
service operation? How can they interact
efficiently with people? How can they monitor
what is being said about their brand without
the risk of not capturing a mention? How should they manage
crises? This eBook aims to answer these questions. We hope you
enjoy reading it and that it helps you to better understand the
fundamentals that underpin social media.

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What’s in it for me?

If you want to implement a customer service
operation in social media and do not know
where to start, this book is for you. This eBook
will help you plan, implement and manage your
social customer service operation. Once you
have read it, you will be in a position to make
your customer service more social.

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About the author

Marcelo Salgado is the social media manager at
Bradesco, Brazil's second largest private bank. He
holds an undergraduate degree in Literature from
FFLCH-USP and a Master’s in Social Media
Communication from FAAP. He built and manages
the team that manages the @AloBradesco Twitter
profile - the first profile of a Brazilian bank to perform customer
service via social media.

Get in touch with Marcelo!

Twitter: @marcelosalgado
Facebook: Facebook.com/marcelosal

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Content

The fundamentals of social customer service ..............................6

How to plan a social customer service operation ........................ 9
How to implement a social customer service operation ............ 19
How to manage a social media crisis ......................................... 24
How to manage a social customer service operation ................ 26
Conclusion ................................................................................. 28
Hints and Tips ............................................................................ 30
Next steps... ............................................................................... 31

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Chapter 1 | Fundamentals

“Positioning a company
in social media requires
the capacity to
understand people”

................................................

There was a time when companies used to “broadcast”
information to consumers, delivering just the messages that
put them in the best light. Communication channels were
limited to phone calls, letters and maybe an email. Since there
was not much opportunity for a two-way conversation it took a
major crisis for customers to hear about it and for it to cause any
problems.

In the mid-1980s, customer service centers started to appear,
which allowed companies to create a connection with many
customers on a one-to-one basis. Over the years regulation was
introduced to ensure the quality of customer service.

However, when social media burst onto the scene and
organizations realized it could be used to handle customer
service issues in real time, there were no rules or best practices
to guide them. Some organizations simply used their existing
customer service processes to regulate social customer service. If
used well, traditional policies are very helpful. However, they

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need to be adapted to account for the process of human
interaction and hyper connectivity that are hallmarks of social
media.

Here are some guidelines to help you put an effective social
customer service program in place.

Guideline 1: Social media is not customer service

Traditional customer service is typically very
mechanical -- a customer service representative spends
his or her day reading scripts. This is not what the
“connected” client expects of companies in a social media
setting. The customer expects a more human “voice”. Social
media creates connections between people and is too much of
a multidisciplinary universe to be reduced just to customer
service and advertising. Positioning a company in social media
mainly requires an ability to understand people.

Guideline 2: Social customer service must be
efficient and fast

In the past when the only way to communicate with
companies was to send a letter, people were mentally
prepared to wait for the response. When call centers
were created, the willingness to wait for a response decreased.
Contact was faster and more direct. However, we were still
prepared to wait. Today, we are used to a world that is
extremely connected with no barriers and as a result we want
an immediate response. It is clear that one media does not
replace another and the time we are willing to wait for each

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one of communication to another is still different, but when it
comes to social media, the response must be quick and
efficient.

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Chapter 2 | Planning

“A customer service department needs
freedom within a company”
...................................................................................................

Before you start planning your social customer service strategy
it is important to do some research and analysis. First take a
close look at the following four points:

Where do your customers congregate?

What is being said?

How much is being said?

When is it being said?

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Where, what, how and when there are conversations, questions
and comments about your company will define which social
media platforms to monitor, how (and whether) to interact,
what tools to use, and what times of day your customers are
active. The latter will establish if your team needs to work
around the clock or not. While doing this analysis, the amount of
work and investment required will become clear. Each line of
business has its needs just as each company has its own DNA and
these must be taken into account at this time.

1. Physical Structure and Hierarchy

Take note! THE CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM NEEDS TO HAVE THE
COMPANY CULTURE IN ITS DNA, UNDERSTANDING OF SOCIAL
MEDIA, MATURITY AND, MOST OF ALL, GOOD WRITING SKILLS

In many businesses, especially those dedicated to services, it
makes sense that the social media relationship should be around
the clock. If that is the case, for shifts to run smoothly, you will
need approximately 16 workers on 6-hour shifts or 12 workers
on 8- hour shifts. This is because you will need at least two
people working together at peak periods, which creates an
actual need for four available people (considering the fact that
one may be off duty due to weekend shift and another one on
lunch break). Furthermore, you will need at least one worker for
the quieter hours. Add to this calculation weekend shifts and
respective days off, and you will arrive at the minimum amount
of people required.

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If there are times when there is no activity among your customer
base you will not need coverage. This will all depend on your
preliminary analysis, especially the analysis of what and how
much should be communicated. If a mention during the early
hours of the morning is unusual, you can decide not to have a
person working this shift. If on the other hand it is too critical to
risk not responding to a mention, it should be taken into
consideration. In short: make sure your brand won’t be harmed
by decisions you make regarding staffing and shifts.

Many social customer service groups started with one or two
workers and grew over time. This is another more organic way to
start and is certainly an option, depending on your situation.

These days a lot of customer service is outsourced. Companies
large and small have tested this model. Some companies
outsource to their customer service provider, others to their
advertising agency. We do not recommend this. This e-book aims
to deliver the best social customer service practices so we
recommend an internal structure over an outsourced service.
Your team must have the corporate culture in its DNA. We
recommend recruiting workers who are knowledgeable about

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social networks, mature, know how to provide quality customer
service and, above all, who have good writing skills. However we
recognize that this 100% internal model is also the most
expensive so think it through carefully and find the model that
works best for your business. Just be sure you can be certain of
quality interaction with your customers.

Regardless of whether you decide to build your own department
or outsource we recommend that you employ a good social
media agency, at least at the outset. It is important to get up to
speed on how to incorporate social media into your customer
service strategy before fully engaging with customers.

The choice of who will lead this group is also important. The
manager should be deeply specialized in social media. He or she
must set guidelines, suggest action plans and keep the team
updated on market trends.

And, since customer service involves relationships, this
department must be connected to the other groups in your
company that will be called upon to provide information to your
customers, such as product management. It is important to put
processes in place that will give you easy access to all
departments of the organization.

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2. Define the team’s “freedom of speech”

Take note! THE CUSTOMER SERVICE
TEAM NEEDS FREEDOM IN THE WAY
THEY RESPOND TO CUSTOMERS.
HOWEVER, THIS DOES NOT EXCLUDE
SCRIPTS IN SPECIFIC SITUATIONS

It is not practical to approve every tweet posted in a social
customer service department. Therefore, your team must have
the freedom to create responses and the company’s trust to do
so. Remember that, in telephone customer service centers,
workers (including outsourced ones) have the power to
improvise on behalf of the company multiple times a day.

On the other hand it is important to establish written guidelines,
be they casual or more formal depending on your company
brand. Such guidelines help the team understand the most
appropriate way to handle different situations and also assure
company management that there is some order within the
normal and expected chaos of social networking.

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3. Map internal workflows and define your main
contacts

Take note! THE MANAGER OF A SOCIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE
TEAM NEEDS TO SHOW THE WAY AND BE AWARE OF TRENDS

Responding to customers, prospects and others in social
networks demands speed and attention so it is necessary to talk
to the relevant managers in your company and elect one person
to be the main contact for his or her area of responsibility. These
contacts will need to quickly respond to requests so it is
important that this person is fully committed to timeliness
regardless of the hour or the day.

Social networks are just one way to interact with your
customers. Although these channels demands faster responses
when compared with the telephone for example, the quality of
your responses must be standard across the board. Your
customer is unique. This is how he or she feels in this hyper-
connected world, and that is how you should treat him or her,
regardless of the communication channel used.

4. Define tool(s), metric(s) and report types

Take note! IT IS IMPERATIVE TO HAVE A TOOL THAT GROUPS
THE HISTORY OF A TEAM'S INTERACTIONS WITH CUSTOMERS

It is now time to select a social media monitoring tool and any
other tools you will need to use to achieve your goals. When

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doing so, remember that you will need to create a database and
integrate it with your customer relationship management (CRM)
solution in the future. Creating such a database is fundamental
so you can keep track of who you have talked to and what you’ve
said. Otherwise you risk asking someone you have been
interacting with for a couple of days “how may I help?”

Define what types of data you will
report on and how often. The
preliminary analysis you made will
help guide you but it is crucial that
company management participate
in this step.

When we talk about social
customer service, one of the most
serious mistakes we have seen is related to measurement and
which indicators will be used to verify its success. Sentiment
(negative, neutral, positive) is, in many cases, less important than
response volume and type (complaint, suggestion, compliment,
question, etc). We are not recommending any best practices
here because each company, even in the same industry, has
different considerations. However here are some suggestions
that you can consider for your particular situation.

Reports focused on product/problem: Maps the impact of
mentions and complaints about each of the company’s products
or services. For this to work, the social media manager must
correctly classify mentions throughout the day.

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Reports focused on sentiment: Demonstrates how many
negative, positive or neutral mentions there were about the
company. This method requires good training and regular
classification throughout the day, as well as an accurate analysis
of the context of each mention, so as to not generate false
negatives.

Reports focused on highlights: Used to highlight information in
social media that allows a company to learn about the customer
or anticipate a future crisis or demand.

Specific reports: Every now and then, negative news will impact
your business such as system crashes, a crisis caused by a
negative post from an influential customer, etc. In these cases,
you need to demonstrate the extent of the problem internally and
thoroughly map the reasons that led to it. Keep a report template
on hand so you can pull together information that will be easily
understood in the event that this happens.

Report on frequency and volume: Maps the times at which your
profiles are most visited and when you receive the most help
requests. Not only will it confirm your team’s performance at the
most critical times, but it will also help you request more
resources for your team, when overloaded.

You can and must create more than one type of report so you
can cross reference data to best understand your environment.
Reports focused on products/problems, for example, offer
feedback for improvement and insight for innovation. But
reports about a specific problem may offer a broader view of the
reasons for complaints and suggest an alternative solution.

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In all cases, advanced knowledge of Microsoft Office, especially
Excel, is extremely important in order to compare report data.
There are tools that produce standard reports, but not
necessarily reports that are customized to your needs. However,
they will certainly allow data extraction in .csv or .xls format,
both of which can be opened in Excel so you can transform data
into relevant, useful and convincing information.

5. Define Keywords

Take note! TEST THE KEY WORDS THAT
YOU SEARCH FOR.

It is important to define keywords to be
used when searching for mentions in social
media. Use terms such as company name,
products, services, etc. However monitoring
competitors and the market does not make much sense if you
are focusing on issues related to social customer service.

We recommend you study and test Twitter search syntax to get
used to it: http://twitter.com/#!/search-home. Many companies
have common names and searches can get semantically difficult,
so understanding search mechanisms is important to eliminate
junk and optimize search items and analysis time.

Another important matter is that some terms may be strategic to
your company. If one of your goals is responding proactively,
brainstorm all the keywords that relate to your business with
your team. Monitoring them may help you start conversations
that generate business or simply surprise your customer with a
comment and spur an interaction.

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Other tools that may help you understand the universe of
keywords involving your business, market and competition are
Google Insights for search1 and Google AdWords Keyword Tool2.

6. Influencers

Take note! YOU NEED TO RESPOND TO EVERYONE EQUALLY IN
SOCIAL MEDIA. IGNORING CERTAIN PROFILES CAN HAVE A
VERY DAMAGING IMPACT IN SOCIAL MEDIA

At this point you should build a list of influencers, social hubs and
celebrities who use or discuss your brand. This list will be
dynamic, updated as you interact with your audiences. Each
contact with the customer is an opportunity to make a positive
impact in a network so work hard to respond equally to
everyone, but pay special attention to influencers, as their power
to impact your brand is much more significant. Approach them
and start to build a relationship. Invite them to events for
example. Be very attentive to their needs. Just like a complaint, a
recommendation from an influencer reaches far more people.

1
http://www.google.com/insights/search/?hl=en-US
2
https://adwords.google.com.br/o/Targeting/Explorer?__c=1000000000&__u=1000000000&ideaReque
stType=KEYWORD_IDEAS&hl=en_US

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Chapter 3 | Execution

“Look to interact as much
as possible within the
social hub where it
started”
........................................................

At this point you are ready to start executing on the plan you
have put in place. As work gets underway you will notice that
your plan is very dynamic. This is good. As you start working on a
daily basis you will realize what works best and will make
adjustments. This is always the best way to learn and improve.

1. Monitor, analyze and interact in real time

Take note! FOR CERTAIN COMPANIES, IT MAKES SENSE TO
MONITOR AND INTERACT 24 HOURS PER DAY, 7 DAYS A WEEK.

As previously stated the customer has different expectations of
your turnaround time in social media. He or she does not want to
wait. But this is not the only consideration. If your interaction is
not in real time, you will miss the opportunity to bring a swift
end to a complaint and transform an experience from negative
to positive, especially on Twitter.

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Set yourself a response target in minutes. Some organizations
commit to responding within 30 minutes, for example.
Connecting with the customer quickly, makes him or her feel
valued and means you have time to solve the problem or to
gather information to provide the best response.

Each company has characteristics that compose its DNA. For
many companies, especially service companies, it makes a lot of
sense to monitor social media and interact 24/7. Actually, we
believe this is ideal. However, it is not a rule. So take into
consideration what your company brand stands for, what your
product delivers, and be there at the right times for your
customer.

2. Quick responses

Take note! THE FOCAL POINTS OF EACH DEPARTMENT WITHIN
A COMPANY SHOULD ONLY BE USED FOR MORE COMPLEX
ANSWERS.

Each member of the team should have an information guide
about your products and services (just like in customer service
centers -- it can even be the same guide). This will help them
respond faster to commonly asked questions.

Try to keep interaction on the social media hub where it was
initiated. Only move to another communication mechanism such
as the telephone if you need to enter into a more detailed
conversation or exchange private information.

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Use your contacts with assigned product or service managers in
the company for more complex responses and demand quick
turnaround from them.

3. Hands on

Take note! DESPITE HAVING EACH TEAM MEMBER
RESPONSIBLE FOR ONE TASK WITHIN THE OPERATION, THEY
ALL NEED TO UNDERSTAND THE PROCESS AS A WHOLE.

Everybody is ready but who does what? How are responsibilities
divided up between the team? It depends on the platforms to be
monitored. If you intend to cover Facebook and Twitter, it is
necessary to organize the team and divide tasks (the manager
should help here). This means that while one person takes care
of direct messages and occasionally makes necessary phone
calls, another should monitor public mentions and the wall on
Facebook. While executing on their role, it is crucial that
everyone on the team keeps the big picture in mind: the focus on
the customer.

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4. Keep an interactive database

Take note! GROUP THE HISTORY OF
YOUR INTERACTIONS IN SOCIAL MEDIA.

Backup all conversations from day one
so you have the history of every
interaction with each user. If your social
media monitoring tool does this
automatically and compiles a history of interactions, that is even
better. With this feature, each conversation is clearly visible
which is particularly useful when you have a new team member.
The ability to cite previous interactions during new interactions
with the same customer demonstrates professionalism and a
genuine interest in their needs.

Consider integrating this database with your CRM software in the
future, so that access to information is quicker.

5. Look for opportunities to be proactive

Take note! A SOCIAL CUSTOMER SERVICE TEAM SHOULD NOT
JUST BE FOCUSED ON COMPLAINTS.

Responding to complaints is going to be your main activity, but it
is possible to find opportunities to actively promote products
and services, as long as the context is relevant to the
conversations. Do not send sales messages if there is no ongoing
conversation or appropriate context for it.

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6. Keep updating your influencer list

Take note! DO NOT TRY TO INTERACT WITH THOSE WHO DO
NOT WANT TO SPEAK TO YOU.

Your interactions will show that the most famous are not
necessarily the ones who impact the most people. Mapping local
influencers is important, as well as mapping out trolls (those
people who enjoy being detractors on the internet). But keep
conversations only to people who really want to have one. Never
respond to trolls who want to have fun. The social media
manager’s instinct plays an important role in this situation.

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Chapter 4 | Crisis Management

“During a crisis, involve all of the
hierarchical levels above you”
...................................................................................................

The customer has experienced a major problem. Now what? It
is important to keep calm and interact.

Interact. People want to hear an official voice. Be transparent
and polite, offer first-hand information. When the company’s
position is authentic and objective the community will hear your
voice and ignore the naysayers.

Involve. Demonstrate internally how a specific problem is
impacting opinion in social media. Involve the other hierarchical

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levels, so that they at least know about the situation.

Monitor. Give preference to people who are talking directly to
you, but keep your eye on the general search for mentions that
are not directed to your official profile/page in order to detect
important conversations that don’t mention your name. Again,
keep in mind that you will need a good social media monitoring
tool in order to be effective.

[+] MORE ON THIS
Do you know how to manage a crisis in social media?

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Chapter 5 | Management

“The positioning of a
company in social media
should mirror its actual
positioning”
.........................................................

All right. You have your social media customer service team up
and running and everything works fine. Now comes the easy
part, right? Wrong. Since social media conversations are
notoriously unpredictable, you have to keep adapting to make
sure you are on top of quality at all times.

1. Track the volume of interactions

Do you need to add resources during your busy hours. You
should project your growth curve to anticipate team expansion
and avoid losing quality of interactions.

2. Pay attention to trends

Is Tumblr the new thing? Is Pinterest over? What’s the newest
meme?

Participate in discussions, events and lectures about the market
and keep your eyes open for trends. This can turn into a
competitive advantage.

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Get to know other social media managers, so you can exchange
information. Good ideas always come from such contacts.

3. Map and recommend improvements

People will point out problems and give interesting feedback, but
in general companies don’t know what to do with it. It is part of
your role to determine how to solve problems and make new
recommendations to management. While showing respect for
the opinions of others and letting them know their contribution
is valuable, it is important to push for necessary changes in your
social customer service program so that you learn and improve in
the quest for excellence.

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Conclusion

“Companies that don't interact in social
media will not innovate”
...................................................................................................

Once you start interacting in social media, you should follow the
company guidelines for interaction but you can also innovate as
unanticipated events occur in social media networks. See this as
an opportunity.

From a communication point of view this hyper-connected forum
is no place for broadcasting. Company profiles that only
broadcast information without engaging in conversations do not
succeed in this environment.

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People are the ones who decide what your product is for. If you
are not an active member of social media, and don’t listen to
what people have to say, you are at great risk that they will
speak for you, possibly distorting the facts and damaging your
reputation.

People want to hear a human voice and feel your genuine
interest in solving their problems, clarifying questions and
responding. That is why it is necessary to go beyond platforms,
to care about the essence of every business: people. Each
connection is important, because it creates a relationship that
lasts and it positively spreads throughout the network. By
following the above steps and guidelines you can ensure the
success of your social customer service programs.

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Hints and Tips

It is important to keep some points in mind when it comes to
communicating in social media:

1. Social media require honesty and transparency, from both
people and companies.

2. They also require customized responses. Due to this, your
team must have the freedom to improvise and unlimited access
to internet.

3. Communicate with everyone in the same way. There is no
need for formalities. It is important to be casual, as we are all
people. If a customer uses abbreviations and smiles, respond in
the same way.

4. The world of social networks is one of trial and error. So, if
something doesn’t work, that’s alright. Accepting mistakes and
correcting problems are great steps towards maintaining your
reputation.

5. Respect customers, prospects and others. Don’t insist on
interactions if the other party is not interested. If you approach
someone once and you are ignored or get no reply, move on.

6. Finally, do not allow yourself to get dragged into an
argument. This doesn’t sit well in the social media environment.

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Next steps...

Are you starting out in social customer service
and do you need a social media monitoring and
management platform?

Why don't you try out Scup for 30 days?
http://bit.ly/PAbDoy

Also visit our social customer service site
http://ideas.scup.com/en/socialmediacustomer/

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