Businesses are getting better at responding to online customer service enquiries and queries! That’s according to the latest research by Socialbakers. They report that in the second quarter of this year, brands answered 62% of questions asked in social media environments. That’s a significant 143% rise on the 30% answered in the same time last year.
It’s a massive shift – back in 2011, apparently only 5% of questions posed on social media were answered!
The most-improved industry in terms of responding to consumers via social media is airlines. A year ago, just over half (55%) of queries were answered but this has taken off and now the industry boasts a 79% response rate.
The finance and telecommunications industries aren’t far behind with 78% and 75% response rates respectively, and the biggest performance leap from year to year was the fashion industry with a 40% increase.
It’s clear that as more and more customers are using social media to make comments and queries, then businesses have to gear themselves up to respond.
Are you listening?
I took a look at the infographics for the socialbaker claims, and while it would take me a good two hours to cross check the numbers, it doesn’t look to me like a) they add up properly, and b) even the basic math is correct. The headline seems inaccurate…and well, this looks questionable enough to include in my new book on customer service as an example of a really buggered up report of the research.
Suppose it doesn’t matter these days.
Will look forward to reading the book!