To be successful, businesses need to meet consumers where they are and communicate with them using the platform of their choice, and in today’s digital age, it is on social media. More specifically, on Facebook.

Facebook has been quick to capitalise on its potential for customer service and has developed new features for its Pages to facilitate businesses’ engagement with their audience. According to the social media giant, the number of messages sent by consumers to businesses on Facebook doubled in a year, leaving no doubt that it is a channel you need to put at the heart of your digital customer service offer.

Tip 1: Respond promptly

One of the reasons why customers use social media to contact businesses is their perception that they will receive a response more quickly than through traditional channels, so it is crucial that your account be monitored regularly and that you reply within a few hours. With social media, any message posted is visible to the whole world so failure to do so will not only displease the person who contacted you, but can also be interpreted by prospective clients as poor customer service, prompting them to look elsewhere.

You can manage users’ expectations by showing your “Response Time”, i.e. the average time it takes you to send responses to new messages. It can be calculated automatically by Facebook but if you feel it isn’t accurate, you can edit it manually.

Tip 2: Address complaints

Even the companies with the best customer service will have to deal with complaints or difficult customers from time to time. It can be very uncomfortable to do so with the eyes of the world on you, but the worst you can do is try to ignore them or worse, delete them.

Think of it as an opportunity to demonstrate your professionalism and quality of customer service by addressing issues in good time and constructively. If your company made a mistake, simply acknowledge it and apologise. Customers will respect and trust your brand for it.

Tip 3: Use the right tone

Social media platforms allow for a more personal and friendly tone than a formal letter, but your responses should always be professional and polite. Commenting on positive posts is also a great way to let customers know that you value their opinions and experience with your brands.