Why social media response times matter

 

Do you have customers or potential customers reach out to you through your social media channels? If so, social media response times can have either a positive or negative effect on your business. You might not be able to monitor and respond to social media communication around the clock, but a 24-hour call centre can.

What is a great response time?

Typically, when a customer sends you a direct message or comments on a social media post, they want a response. Quickly. Different studies have garnered varying answers for exactly how much time they expect a reply, ranging from one-hour to twenty-four hours.

However, social media environments are fast-paced. As a result, expectations for customer service even outside of “regular” business hours are high. That means responding to your social media inquiries as soon as possible is a good idea.

Why response time is so important

No one wants to be left hanging. Offering ideal response times through channels like Facebook, Instagram, Twitter etc., can boost customer service and sales. In addition, great response times can help you retain valued customers and grow your business.

Offering speedy customer service through social media gives your business a competitive advantage. Many customers will reach out to more than one business offering the product or service they’re interested in. In this case, the business with the quickest response time usually wins.

Regarding negative communication published online, fast response time is vital. A disgruntled customer can severely damage your reputation with negative online reviews and comments. Responding to them professionally and quickly, finding a resolution and taking that negative conversation offline as soon as possible is essential.

Outsourcing your social media communications

There are challenges to offering speedy social media response times. Paying staff to monitor notifications around the clock can be expensive (and sometimes unreasonable). Even if you have your team watch the channels during business hours, training staff to use social media effectively adds to the cost. On top of this, you want to guarantee consistent and adequate responses.

When you outsource social media communications to a trusted source, you will have found a reliable, cost-effective way to ensure quick response times with warm and professional messaging. In addition, you can enhance your customer service and brand image, retain customers, and earn new business online.

Social media monitoring with CommAlert

The CommAlert Group offers social media content, monitoring, and response. Your business will receive professionally crafted social media posts on channels like Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Then, our 24-hour call centre agents will be ready to respond to comments, reactions, reviews, and direct messages around the clock.

Contact us for more information.