Episode 14 - How Twitter Decided to Focus on Customer Service

For almost as long as Twitter has existed, people have tweeted comments, complaints, and even compliments at brands. Many brands have realized the importance of Twitter’s emergence as a key customer service channel, though 40% of tweets to service accounts still get no response.

Now Twitter is formalizing its customer service recommendations to brands. In August, the social media giant released a free 126-page playbook entitled, simply, Customer Service on Twitter. (Available here: https://twitter.app.box.com/customer-service-on-twitter) The playbook is chock full of ideas and guidelines for brands, touching on trends, opportunities and challenges, case studies, and a suggested roadmap for executing great service on Twitter.

Since the Focus on Customer Service podcast is all about companies doing great things in social media customer service, it was only natural that we wanted to learn more about the Twitter playbook and how Twitter thinks companies can be successful with customer service on its platform.

Jeff Lesser, Senior Product Marketing Manager at Twitter, is responsible for leading the marketing of the customer service initiative at Twitter, including research, awareness, product-market fit and partnerships. He spoke with Dan and Dan in a far-reaching interview that will surely help brands on Twitter focus on customer service.

Some of the most quotable moments of this episode include:

“I get to help brands do better customer service on our platform and ultimately help users get better customer service on Twitter.”

“We’re really excited about the opportunity to make Twitter the best place in the world to both do and receive customer service.”

“On Twitter, when you reach out and you create that great experience, thousands of people can see that, and so even though there might be a cost associated with creating that moment, it is a huge benefit.”

“If someone tweets at you, always respond. There’s only good things that can come from that.”

“It’s not about making a sale, it’s about solving that customer’s problem.”

Here are the highlights of Episode 14 and where to find them:

1:30 How Jeff got to his current role at Twitter

2:35 The impetus for publishing a Customer Service Playbook

4:33 The 3 stages of customer service on Twitter

8:10 The operational savings associated with servicing customers on Twitter

13:26 One Twitter handle vs. multiple

15:08 Why are some brands not responding on Twitter?

17:00 Response time expectations

20:48 How “authenticity” and “empathy” play a role in Twitter customer service

23:30 Brands responding to Tweets aimed at competitors

24:49 Tools and platforms available to brands to assist with social care

28:10 Advice for finding the perfect Twitter customer service agent

29:56 The idea of Twitter as an “early warning system” for companies

34:45 Jeff’s advice to companies to become world-class in social customer service

36:50 What’s next for customer service on Twitter

Have you had a great customer service experience with a brand on Twitter? If so, please tweet us using the hashtag #FOCS so we interview that brand on a future podcast.