Prioritizing Communication and Customer Care
Social media can help build a strong reputation and more channels of customer communication for your agency. In fact, 63% of customers have shared that they expect companies to offer customer service via their social media channels, and 90% of users have already used social media to communicate with a brand or business.1
Social media can be (and often is expected to be) a space where customer service carries over into the digital world. If you cultivate this space in a way that impresses customers with excellent communication, your brand will stand out!
If someone reaches out to you on social media, it shows that they're willing to engage with you, and you've successfully created a social space where productive conversation can happen. This is a great opportunity for you to take control of the narrative and show your customers that you truly care.
- Asset Digital Communications
Creating a Social Media Customer Service Plan
You never know when a customer may reach out with a question, so it's helpful to develop a plan or process for managing these touchpoints. Here are a few best practices from the Foremost team's social media playbook:
Actively Monitor Direct Messages, Comments and Page Posts
There are several ways customers may reach out to you on social media. Most customers will likely try reaching you through your direct message inbox. They may also comment on one of your posts, and on Facebook, customers may post their question directly to your page. In most cases, the social media platform will send you a notification when you've received a new message, comment or post, but it helps to make frequently checking these channels part of your routine.
Set a Consistent Tone
Maintain a consistent voice that is reflective of your agency's brand. This will help you build a reputation for reliability and stability, which are both important keywords in the insurance industry!
Express Genuine Concern and Appreciation
Be consistent … but not robotic! If a customer has a concern, show them that you really care, and practice patience and understanding. Let them know a real human is listening and responding.
Change the Communication Channel When Necessary
If a customer has a question that would be easier or more appropriate to discuss over the phone, send them a private message asking for their number. Then follow up with a call. Moving from a public to a private channel is also important when a customer needs to share sensitive information, like their policy number. It's important not to discuss specifics on insurance-related matters or a person's policy or coverages in a public medium.
Thank Customers for Positive Comments and Reviews
Remember to respond to positive messages! This can help you build an even stronger relationship with your happy customers and let them know you value their feedback.
Responding to Negative Comments
If someone posts something negative on your page, embrace it as an opportunity. Acknowledge the issue when appropriate and offer to ¬fix it if you can. Then redirect the conversation to a secure, private channel so you can get the details. People will often return to your page and thank you for helping them. This will publicly demonstrate how good your customer service is.
Here are a few examples that will give you a feel for recommended ways to respond to negative reviews:
Customer comment: I had a terrible experience filing a claim. Please help!
Sample Response: Hi, [Name]. Sorry you're frustrated – I'm here to help. Can you please send an email with the details of your experience? Thanks.
Customer comment: The coverage I wound up with is not at all what I thought I was buying! I will report you to the insurance commissioner!
Sample Response: That's not the kind of experience we want for our customers. Please send an email to me at [Email] with your information and any details — I'd be happy to help you.
Customer comment: Why haven't I heard back from you?
Sample Response: You should always get a call back. Please send me an email with your information and any details. I'll work to get answers to your questions.
Online Reviews and Referrals
To generate more online positivity for your brand, you might consider asking your customers via email or on the phone to leave reviews for your agency on Facebook, Google and other platforms that permit it.* Customer reviews can be very helpful to a business as indicated by these stats:
- Seventy-one percent of consumers who had a good social media service experience with a brand said they were likely to recommend it to others.1
- Ninety-three percent of consumers surveyed said that online reviews impact their purchasing decisions.2
Remember, if you are going to ask directly for reviews, you should not pay or give any incentive for a positive review. And you should not discourage or prohibit negative reviews or solicit only positive reviews.
- Oberlo: https://bit.ly/3HfeFkk
- Igniyte: https://bit.ly/3rWkGw0
- Qualtrics®: https://bit.ly/32EyLW3
*Be sure to check each platform's rules before proceeding.