Why Consumers Don't Rely on Social Media for Customer Service

Consumers prefer traditional customer service channels

March 7, 2016 | Retail & Ecommerce

Consumers use a variety of channels for customer service, and while social media may be another option, some feel that it takes too long to address issues and has limited functionality.

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August 2015 research from Nice Systems and the Boston Consulting Group (BCG) revealed that among the 65% of internet users worldwide who never use social media for customer service, a third said it is because it takes too long to address issues.

Additionally, 32% of internet users worldwide said that using social media for customer service provides limited functionality, and 30% said it is not feasible for complex tasks.

Other reasons that respondents said they don’t use social media for customer service was because there is no privacy, no click-to-call-option and because they cannot reach a successful resolution.

When it comes to customer service, many consumers prefer traditional channels, like a phone, to communicate with a company.

In fact, a June Contact Solutions survey found that 29.7% of respondents said that the phone was their preferred channel for communication with a company. Websites were another favored channel;26% of mobile buyers said they preferred it.