Enhance Customer Relationships with Messages on Hold and Social Media
So you’re asking everyone to ‘like’ you on Facebook, right? You’re posting on X, connecting on LinkedIn, blogging, sharing on Instagram, and loading videos on your YouTube and Vimeo channels. After all, a high profile on the Internet will help deliver more web traffic, phone calls, and referrals—which means more business.
But along with the wins can come some real punches in the gut—your Facebook wall gets peppered with comments by an angry customer or two (or more), or your company name becomes an unfortunate hashtag on X (with some brutal posts). Do you duck and cover, or simply embrace it with open arms, doing what you can to turn the conversation back around your way?
Engaging in Ongoing Online Conversations
Embrace it, say experts at Kalamazoo Valley Community College, a long-time Easy On Hold client and one of the most marketing-savvy community colleges we see in action. Steven Cook, KVCC social media strategist, says the college has been a topic of frequent conversation on the Internet—only the college wasn’t doing much of the talking.
“We knew we needed to insert ourselves where we could by answering student questions about registration times or financial aid, for example. And, of course, trying to calm the angry rants that are bound to happen with any institution of our size,” Steven says. “We can post a response on X (formerly Twitter) that clarifies a misunderstanding or points a student in the right direction with college administration. Who better to jump into the conversation than KVCC itself?”
X is a flexible channel, Steven points out.
“With X, we can talk to one, to many, or to all of our followers, something you just can’t do while managing Facebook pages,” he says. “We have been able to use X as a tool in customer service, student recruitment and retention, news and events promotion, and more. It gives a real sense of what conversations are happening around our school’s brand. Students don’t have to talk to us; we can find them if they just talk about us through searches.”
Steven uses HootSuite to easily manage the internet chatter at a glance. [Editor’s note: Hootsuite acquired Seesmic, another popular social media content management service, and is going to a paid platform. An alternative is X Pro for management.]
Jim Belosic of Social Media Examiner (one of the best sites, in my opinion, for learning how to conquer social media), agrees that standing tall is the best strategy when an angry post finds its way to your Facebook page.
While X has undergone numerous changes over the years, other platforms allow the same direct conversational exchange between customers and brands. Threads, Mastodon, and BlueSky are alternatives. Other social media platforms like Instagram and Facebook implemented live streams that allow for real-time customer feedback. This customer engagement shows how your target audience reacts to you.
YouTube also allows a Community section for subscribers to engage directly with creators. It’s now easier than ever to create niche pockets online for your own customer base. This makes reaching new people online and customer retention easier by addressing concerns directly.
Tips for Handling Negative Feedback
“Your next steps are key to retaining not only the business of the angry customer, but the business of other fans who like your page as well,” Jim says. In his 7 Tips for Dealing with Upset Facebook Fans, Belosic says the #1 response is to give a response, no matter what. “Inactivity on your part will appear as though you’re trying to ignore the issue and sweep it under the rug,” he writes.
“Being unresponsive does nothing more than incite more anger and increase the chance the user will come back with even more angry wall posts.” -Jim Belosic
Can You Integrate On-hold Messaging with Social Media?
On-hold marketing can work in tandem with social media to provide a holistic customer experience. Brands can increase brand loyalty when they:
- Use messages on hold to promote social channels: People won’t just follow your account for the sake of it; if you add perks, they’ll feel inclined to. Encourage callers to follow social media accounts for special deals and promotions. This will boost your customer engagement on social media.
- Maintain consistent branding (tone of voice and messaging) across every platform. This gets overlooked, but uniformity across channels shows professionalism and attention to detail.
- Add user-generated content (UGC) to your on-hold marketing messages. UGC content can include reviews and positive experiences. People love real success stories, so adding them can reassure customers that your brand is trustworthy. This could be a key feature in your on-hold scripts.
Tracking Success: Using Data to Make Decisions
Social media integration with messages on hold means nothing if you don’t actively track metrics for success. Here’s some of what you should be on the lookout for:
- Track call abandonment rates
- See if repeat purchases go up
- Watch for positive reviews on social media
- Compare before-and-after data to spot changes
Improving Customer Retention from Messages on Hold to Social Media
Positive customer engagement strategies make the best of a worst-case scenario (a negative customer experience with a product or service). Customers can appreciate that your brand went above and beyond to make them happy. This is what matters to them—it improves your brand loyalty.
Your best customers will always be your existing customers. Brand loyalty brings repeat purchases, and directly improves your bottom line. Think about the customer’s experience from start to finish:
- A customer calls your business because they have a problem. While they wait on hold, you direct them to your social media.
- If they head to your social media while on hold, they could see content that solves their problems and answers their questions or new products and launches.
- If not, they wait for a representative to address the issue.
- After the call, they get an automated email response thanking them for their patience and encouraging a review of customer support. A discount code could be an incentive or a reward for this.
On-Hold Messaging: Managing the Conversation Beyond Social Media
No article on handling angry customers would be complete without mentioning on-hold messaging—talk about managing the conversation! A carefully crafted and voiced script with music can help diffuse angry or frustrated callers while you put them on hold to attend to their problem, but make sure your script is honest and helpful (as opposed to fluffy and grandiose).
Let’s say you offer dedicated customer service or technical support lines: our callers already have questions or are having trouble of some sort. Chances are they’re anxious or frustrated. In these situations, we know the following approaches work:
1. Know how long callers are holding
If your hold times are longer than 4 minutes–or can be at peak times–your productions must be long enough so the caller doesn’t get tired of hearing the same thing over and over. It’s okay to repeat a call to action or a time-sensitive message, but rephrase it a few different ways. Keep the music lively.
Don’t talk their heads off
The caller needs time to listen and think about what you’re saying, so offer a pleasing balance of 20-25 seconds of talking and an equal amount of music. This formula is not exact and will vary from business to business, but it’s a good one to shoot for.
3. Help them solve their problem on their own
You want customers to hang up in a good mood. Suggest they visit a specific page on your website for returns, or some helpful tips for common problems.
4. Skip the “your call is valuable” platitudes
Callers don’t buy it. If the call was important, you wouldn’t have placed them on hold. We know you’re simply trying to convey that you care, but it’s pre-recorded, and they know it. Callers feel important when getting help (see #3 above).
5. Keep the music changing
Your goal is to create the perception that the hold time is shorter than it is. A variety of music tracks can do the trick beautifully. If you have repeat callers, this can help. Then, freshen up the content every few weeks.
Share Your Customer Support Success
How do YOU manage angry customers online and on the phone? If you’re willing to share your tips, I’d like to include them in my next post. Please email me your experiences.
Discover how to elevate your customer experience today—start enhancing your on-hold messaging!
