12 NOVEMBER 2018 • FOGHORN FOGHORNFOCUS: CUSTOMER SERVICE Social Media The thing about social media is that it is, well, social. Steiman noted that as companies have been striving towards having customers engage them on social media for many years, now customer want the same thing in reverse. Citing ValueWalk, a website that provides news coverage on hedge funds, large asset management, and value investing, he said, “Sixty-three percent of customers expect companies to offer support via social media, and 35 percent of customers prefer it over other channels.” And, Steiman believes those number will only rise. So, what does that mean for business owners? Through his Forbes article, Steiman suggested that business owners should use social media to reach customers and encourage interaction. “Do it now, if you’re not doing it yet!” he said. This means, of course, that someone at the business must respond to inquiries and comments sent via social media. PVA Associate member Jonathan Campbell of Lake Effect Digital, which offers marketing expertise to clients suggests giving customers a means to communicate questions.  “Leave the user an email address or phone number to reach customer service,” Campbell advised.  “Customers expect this type of response these days and generally if questions go unanswered you will lose the business.”  Some ticketing systems may allow for integration with social media. Check with your ticketing system representative to find out how. Where to begin if you haven’t already? Steiman pointed to Facebook and Twitter as where business owners should focus their social media efforts. But, Instagram is actually more popular than Twitter, particularly with the 18- to 34-year old demographic. And, there are many other social media platforms that are rising in usage. Your market’s demographics may dictate which ones are the best ones for engaging with your customer base. Online Chat Support Steiman also says that online chat boxes that pop up to answer questions just as a customer is looking at your website will increase in importance. “A chatbot is defined as computer software that can interact conversa- tionally via text messages to solve simple, quick response requests from consumers for product information and to make online purchases,” said Larissa Faw of Media Post. Essentially, a chatbot is a web service of live (but not living) support that allows businesses to communicate, or chat, in real time with visitors to their Web site, according to Webopedia. Live support applications are commonly used to provide immediate customer support and information to clients and customers. Even if your operation doesn’t (yet) offer this on its website, you’ve likely encountered a chat box in your own searches on the Internet. “Chat support offers huge benefits when it’s done well,” Steiman said. “Customers get answers immediately, rather than having to wait 24 hours or more (the typical response time for email support). Furthermore, chat enables customers to ask follow-up questions in real time. An email con- versation that could take days is condensed into five minutes.”