The 10 Commandments of Customer Service on Twitter

THE 10 COMMANDMENTSOF

CUSTOMER SERVICEON TWITTER

From the Frank Reactions Research StudyCustomer Service: A Twitter Experiment

Get the full report at http://frankreactions.com/twittercs

I. Thou Shalt Be Responsible

• Ensure that one person has clear responsibility for monitoring and responding to Tweets during every time period.

• Have alternates: • Nobody can be on call

and effective 24/7

II. Thou Shalt Not Ignore Evenings & Weekends

Even if thou can not have paid staff on Twitter full-time during evenings and weekends, thou shalt have:• 1 person who is responsible during those

times• With their phone set to alert them whenever

thy brand is mentioned on Twitter

III. Thou Shalt Not Keep Customers in the Dark

• Thy Twitter profile must state when it is staffed, so no one will expect service when thou might not be there.

• Remember to state thy time zone.• Give alternate ways customers can get help

during off-hours.

IV. Thou Shalt Train Thy Staff• Develop procedures

for handling twitter requests in a friendly, professional manner

• Then train thy staff and give them practice

V. Thou Shalt Template Yet Personalize

• Have templated responses for common queries, yet

• Train staff to personalize the responses (at least with the Tweeter’s name)

VI. Thou Shalt Not Treat Customers as Idiots

• Never merely point people back to thy website. They have likely already sought enlightenment there.

• Provide at least the option of another way to get help if they cannot find what they seek.

VII. Thou Shalt DoThe Extra Step

• If thou hast a separate Twitter customer service handle, but a plea appears on thy regular account do not send the weary customer elsewhere, but rather forward the request thyself.

• Have a system that ensures service staff are aware of such requests as they arrive.

VIII. Thou Shalt Never Force Thy Tweeter to Speak

• While it is oft easier to solve a problem through conversation, people who choose to Tweet may fear that mode.

• Thou may offer telephone support as an alternative, but the choice to use it must rest with thy customer.

IX. Thou Shalt Apologize

• Thou shalt apologize promptly for mistakes and oversights.

X. Thou Shalt Monitor Thy Troops

• Thou shalt regularly audit thy Twitter account to ensure that none of thy tribe hath been neglected, and that all requests are being handled promptly and well.

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