Social media has changed the way consumers act, think and the way they interact with companies.

The Customers contact is measuring customer satisfaction and that’s the ultimate goal, and nowhere do people speak more truth than on social media platforms.  There’s a lot more pressure to respond to customer complaints.  This is because they are aired in places such as Twitter and Facebook and can be viewed by all the fans plus all the friends of the disgruntled customer.  The upside is that a well handled complaint can create a wealth of support and instill loyalty to the brand.

A recent survey from NM Incite notes that consumers seeking customer service via social media channels – or “social care” – have very high expectations.  They want instant gratification and they want it now!  They expect a response from the company the same day – and they expect their problem to be resolved, and not just dealt with.

It’s reported that over 50% of social media users have looked and gained customer service via social channels, and 71% of those who have a positive experience are likely to share their good experience of the brands service to their friends, compared with just 19% of those who get no response. That’s a lot of potential reward and new customers for having a good social care program – and a big risk for any brand, or company with poor social care.

It is fair to say that social media can take up a lot of time that a small business that they may not be able to afford. but there is a long term ROI in there.  At the end of the day, you have a public-facing company, and your customers are online.  So you need to be present and active in order to see plenty of positive results. Its all you need in measuring customer satisfaction.

Inspired from Social Media Users Have High Expectations at BaselineMag.com.