My part of the session was planning for the harder side of social media customer service. I have some examples of what you don't want and explained how to avoid these issues.

1. Balancing the Other Side of
Social Media Customer Service
Melissa Fach
@SEOaware

2. Melissa Fach - @SEOAware
• Pubcon Social & Community Manager
• US Blog Editor at SEMrush
• Consultant
Past:
• Moz
• SEJ
• AuthorityLabs
• Big Cat Habitat

3. Did you know….
That anything and everything that goes
wrong can become YOUR problem?

4. PRODUCT OR
SERVICE FAILURE

5. #CrockPotIsInnocent
@SEOaware

6. YOUR BOSS GETS
ARRESTED…
AND IT IS ON THE
NEWS

7. A STAFF
MEMBER WAS
A JERK ON
THE PHONE!

8. AN EMAIL CAMPAIGN GOES WRONG

9. OR SOMEONE SHARES SOMETHING STUPID!
Like….
@SEOAware

10. @SEOAware

11. @SEOAware

12. @SEOAware

13. @SEOAware

14. SOMEONE’S MARKETING IDEA SUCKED!
@SEOaware

15. @SEOaware

16. @SEOaware

17. @SEOaware

18. @SEOAware

19. It is all on the social customer service team
to handle the aftermath.
@SEOAware

20. If you wait until a disaster happens to come
up with a plan, you may have already failed.
@SEOAware

21. Sometimes the responses to disasters, are
worse than the disasters themselves.
@SEOAware

22. Your company should have plans in
place NOW for potential problems.
@SEOAware

23. Crisis Management
How you handle a crisis will determine whether or not your keep your
customers, your social audience, and maybe even your company!
Brainstorm and plan!
@SEOAware

24. PLAN FOR THE WORST
Create protocols & procedures for:
• Difficult Customers
• Complaints
• Trolls
• User Error
• Support / Help
• Requests
• Questions
• The Unthinkable
• Employees
• Billing Problems
@SEOAware

25. WRITE ALL THESE
PLANS DOWN!!!
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26. WHY???
CONTINUITY IS CRITICAL!
@SEOAware

27. PLAN FOR THE WORST: CRISIS
MANAGEMENT
Which team members need to discuss the situation
before a response?
@SEOAware

28. CRISIS MANAGEMENT
How will you respond? - Initial vs. full?
What determines this choice?
@SEOAware

29. CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Who will reply on social, phone, email, in person?
@SEOAware

30. CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Is everyone on same page? Who makes sure? How is this
done?
@SEOAware

31. CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Do you reply to each and every person on social?
How will you deal with trolls?
@SEOAware

32. @SEOAware

33. CRISIS MANAGEMENT
What support will the social team have?
Which platforms will you reply on?
@SEOAware

34. CRISIS MANAGEMENT
Plan for even the craziest scenarios.
You will be glad you did.
@SEOAware

35. DOES THE MARKETING TEAM TALK WITH
THE SOCIAL TEAM?
A good social media manager/team can tell you what could
go wrong with a campaign.
@SEOAware

39. What are your protocols for
employees?
@SEOAware

40. WHAT ABOUT EMPLOYEE’S SOCIAL?
@SEOAware

41. BEHAVIORAL EXPECTATIONS:
• Fire-able offenses?
• Company branding?
• Customer requests?
• Ethical expectations vs. free speech.
@SEOAware

42. What if
they
quit?
What if we
let them go?

43. HAVE PLANS FOR:
• Changing passwords – who and when:
• CRM
• Social Tools
• Social Networks – remove admin.
@SEOAware

44. CHATBOTS
Who researches?
Who sets up?
Who Monitors?
@SEOAware

45. @SEOAware

46. @SEOAware

47. DEALING WITH ALL KINDS OF PEOPLE

48. THINK HARD BEFORE YOU RESPOND
People are watching and documenting!
@SEOAware

49. YOU ARE ALWAYS BEING WATCHED!
@SEOAware

50. #1 JOB: PROTECT THE BRAND
• “BE KIND”
• SHOW EMPATHY
• HELP THE CUSTOMER
• ALWAYS PROTECT THE BRAND

51. We all start
out like
this…

52. DEALING WITH PEOPLE, IS NOT EASY

53. REMEMBER, YOU ARE TALKING TO A HUMAN

54. WE DON’T KNOW THEIR SITUATION

55. REMIND YOURSELF, IT ISN’T PERSONAL

56. AVOID FEELING OFFENDED
People are typically looking for two things:
1. A solution to a problem. 2. Someone to listen.
@SEOAware

57. GO THE EXTRA MILE
Find an answer, a
solution, a
resource… whatever
they need!

58. Validate their feelings. <- it is that simple.

59. HOW TO VALIDATE EXAMPLES
“Oh no! How can we help?”
“We want to help…we will find a solution.”
@SEOAware

60. HOW TO VALIDATE EXAMPLES
“We understand your frustration.”
“We totally understand & appreciate the feedback.”
Taking responsibility without taking the blame.
@SEOAware

61. SOME FOLKS JUST STAY ANGRY

62. GET THEM OUT OF THE PUBLIC EYE
“Can you send us your contact info…?”
“We would really like to talk to you / look at your
account.”
RESPOND IMMEDIATELY – KEEP THEM OFFLINE
@SEOAware

63. Don’t engage with the trolls, you WILL NOT win!
@SEOAware

64. BE PREPARED…
The bigger your company is the more difficult
people there will be to deal with.
@SEOAware

65. REALITY
You learn as you go.
There is no perfection.
@SEOAware

66. REALITY
Failure is okay, you learn from it.
Offensive is never okay.
@SEOAware

67. TAKEAWAYS
Social media customer service includes
reputation management.
Planning ahead of time is critical.
@SEOAware

68. JOIN LISA AND I IN FLORIDA AND VEGAS
Social Media for Business Workshop
• Pubcon Florida – April 10-12th
• Pubcon Vegas – October 15-18th
@SEOAware