While many call centers are still working to fully integrate Facebook and Twitter into to their multi-channel service options, social media avenues only continue to widen and strengthen. Just a few of the up-and-coming applications and networks to keep an eye on are Snapchat, WhatsApp, Line, Tumblr, Instagram, Pinterest, Kakao and Reddit.
While a service like Snapchat – in which users post photos and videos for just an instant (or a 24-hour window) – might seem like a counterintuitive network for customer service, it’s important that call center managers keep their minds open. Managers should spend less time worrying about which social networks are most effective and more time paying attention to which networks consumers are using. Snapchat currently processes 300 million photos a day, catching up to the 500 million daily posts on Twitter.
One thing that every call center is always looking for is an innovative new way to interact with its customer base, and Snapchat offers just that opportunity. You can promote exclusive offers and previews of new products that will appear and disappear, or can be available for just 24 hours. As services such as Tumblr, Instagram and Pinterest become more personal and relationship-based, it’s vital that service organizations flexibly adapt to the new ways that users communicate over the Internet.
As the New York Times pointed out in a feature on emerging social networks in 2014, Twitter is currently scoffing at the alleged competition to its brand; however, its new site design contains a photo display that seems to mimic that of Facebook.
In the same way that each social media service catches up to the one ahead of it, each call center should remain right in step, providing the service that customers need no matter how it’s transmitted, or even how long it lasts.