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Are companies actually engaging with social media customer service?

Published on: March 02, 2012
Author: Epticablog

Social media opens up a whole new way of communicating with customers. However companies need to understand that it is fundamentally different to other channels. Social media is much more of a two way conversation and, as it is held in public, the world can see the results. So while many companies have moved onto social media and are using it for customer service, what is vital is how engaged...

Dealing with negative comments on social media

Published on: February 23, 2012
Author: Epticablog

Social media gives every one of your customers a voice that can be heard across the internet, outside your control. While this can worry many companies, it is worth realising that not every comment that people make on Facebook or Twitter is going to be negative – and also that those that have suffered a bad experience can change their mind if they are treated properly. US research found...

Reaching new heights in airline customer service

Published on: January 30, 2012
Author: Epticablog

When it comes to customer service and social media it is very easy to focus on the potential issues it causes for brands. Aggrieved customers can now complain quickly and vociferously to the entire world if they have a bad experience, with tweets or Facebook posts going viral in a matter of minutes. However there is another side to social customer service, where companies are using these channels ...

Why social media is all about customer service

Published on: January 11, 2012
Author: Epticablog

We’ve talked a lot in the past about the emerging importance of social media to customer service and how companies across all industries need to incorporate networks such as Facebook and Twitterinto their strategy. Businesses must understand the opportunities and threats that social media brings to customer service and then put in place the systems to listen and act on what their custom...

2012 and customer service

Published on: January 05, 2012
Author: Epticablog

With 2012 now firmly upon us, what will it bring for customer service? The combination of the ongoing recession, increased reliance on the internet and the continuing growth of social media are the three major challenges that customer service needs to address.Here are Eptica’s views on how these trends will impact customer service in the year ahead:The recession Clearly there is no immediate...

HSBC and social customer service

Published on: November 09, 2011
Author: Epticablog

Last week’s IT problems at HSBC demonstrate how quickly a customer service issue can develop in the age of social media. On Friday afternoon the bank suffered an IT outage on its mainframe which affected online banking, ATM and some customers using debit cards in stores. While the problems lasted just over 2 hours, Friday afternoons are amongst the busiest time for banks, with HSBC’s 1...

The customer is always right – particularly on social media

Published on: October 05, 2011
Author: Epticablog

The internet has been buzzing this week about a major customer service failure by Australian fashion retailer Gasp. The story started when bride-to-be Keira O’Neill visited the Gasp store in Melbourne. After trying on a wedding dress and resisting the hard sell of the shop assistant he was apparently rude to her and her friends. Unsurprisingly Keira complained, politely, by email to the...

Telecoms – is it good to talk?

Published on: August 31, 2011
Author: Epticablog

 Two things used to be true about the telecoms sector – prices were always falling and companies across the market had a reputation for poor customer service. The news that BT is increasing call charges by up to 5% - its second rise this year - shows that even in a competitive market such as the UK, prices are now escalating, driven by inflation.So, if phone bills are rising has there b...

Why customer service mustn’t stop in a recession

Published on: August 25, 2011
Author: Epticablog

In a recession companies look to cut costs wherever they can – and unfortunately customer service is often a target. After all, if there are fewer customers to service then surely you don’t need to invest as much in looking after them?The folly of this attitude is shown by some recent international research from American Express, neatly summarised in this infographic on the Get Satisfa...

Dedicated follower of fashion……….

Published on: August 23, 2011
Author: Epticablog

 The continuing bad news from the UK retail sector, with sales growth slowing and more than one in ten high street shops vacant means retailers need to focus clearly on customer service if they are to successfully compete in a challenging market.Nowhere is this competition more intense than in the fashion sector, with sales of clothing and footwear actually declining in July. However one brig...

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