The secrets of good “webcare”
What does webcare involve?
Does your business have a website? Is e-mail a tool you use every day and are you professionally active on social media such as Facebook or Twitter? If this is the case, your customers will contact you and your staff not only via phone, but also via various other channels, for questions, complaints and, possibly, outright criticism. “Webcare” means that you should deal with their questions and complaints judiciously. It’s therefore a good idea to develop a general webcare strategy.
Who does what?
Questions and complaints can be highly diverse. Some issues are very technical, others are more commercial in nature. It’s important that you collect all these issues in a central spot within your organisation, for instance using a tool such as Hootsuite ( http://www.hootsuite.com ). Although this tool can be used by different staff members, it’s best to appoint one person who is responsible for co-ordinating everything and for transferring everything to the right people. This person should also record who is to give the answers and how exactly this is to be done.
Tip. The right “tone of voice” is a very important aspect of webcare.
When do you react?
Decide internally how fast you want to react. As your customers can reach you via online channels at any time, they will be expecting a prompt answer to their questions. A mere 30% of consumers think it acceptable that an organisation doesn’t respond within five hours, and many of them wish to be helped within the hour. Is it your policy to react only during office hours? State this clearly to avoid creating false expectations.
Private versus public
Classic customer contact via phone or e-mail used to be private. However, with the advent of social networks, your customers now have a public forum at their disposal where they can freely and openly vent their criticism. This isn’t necessarily a disadvantage, though: transparency generates confidence. By responding to complaints correctly and publicly on Facebook or Twitter, you’re demonstrating your goodwill and professionalism.
Tip. You may be answering questions which could be raised by other customers in the future.
Respect the original channel
It’s a familiar situation: a customer asks a question on Twitter and the organisation replies that they should send an e-mail or call the office. Ideally, you should deal with incoming questions and complaints via the channel the customer has chosen.
Tip. If the discussion becomes too personal, specific or heated for a public space, ask the customer to continue the discussion in private. Call them directly yourself, if necessary, but certainly don’t ask them to call you.
Be proactive
Two out of three organisations use these channels proactively. Proactive means: react to remarks even if a reaction isn’t expected. You can find examples and tips at OBI4wan ( https://goo.gl/bqNFkE ).
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