The old adage “the customer is always right” may seem cliché.  But it’s truer than ever in a world of rising social media influence.  Customer service is key to brand perception, and with so many consumers spreading their opinions through social media-instantly and across large networks-making sure that your customers have a positive brand experience is more important than ever.

Below is some practical advice from the AMA Social Media: Cracking the Code for Business Marketers Webinar on how to improve your customer service via social media:

• Know your customer. In the realm of social media, some customers are more important than others. When users sign up for information on your site, ask if they have a blog, Facebook, or Twitter page.  Try to go a step further and identify consumers who are especially influential and respected throughout the social media networks. These influencers can be immensely helpful or harmful to your business, depending on their customer service experiences.

• Practice real-time problem resolution. The longer it takes to solve a problem, the more likely it is to escalate and enter the public domain, and the more likely it is that the customer will undertake a personal crusade against the company.

• Utilize interactive customer service tools. Customer service widgets and wikis encourage customers to engage with the brand. And since consumers appreciate easily accessible, direct customer service, it’s a good idea to bring customer service to consumers where they already are: on social media outlets.

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