If there’s something weird, and it don’t look good. Who ya gonna call?
Customer Service! Wait—what?
Sorry to burst your bubble, but this blog post is not about Ghostbusters. Okay, well it’s kind of about Ghostbusters, but more importantly it’s about Customer Relations, social media and Public Relations.
As a social media community moderator, I help vet complaints and issues that come through social media on behalf of my clients (and the occasional compliment). One of the most common misconceptions I see from members of the social community, is that any and every situation can be resolved on social media.
While nearly all customer service issues may be resolved through social media, that does not necessarily mean the problem can be resolved directly on social media channels. And here is where Ghostbusters becomes relevant.
PR folks, like me, and Community Managers are the gatekeepers for brand profiles. We essentially regulate comments, determine which issues cannot be resolved on social media, and escalate issues that need to be addressed by Customer Service.
Social Media Gatekeeping 101
- Monitor and scan activity and comments
- Assess each comment or message
- Answer the question or direct the commenter to someone who can – like Customer Service or Tech Support, etc.
Gatekeepers answer questions to the best of our ability, but sometimes we must turn to our Customer Relations team, or the key masters, who can open and close those customer service related issues that need a little extra attention. Although it would be convenient to have your stove fixed or return that dress (which looks nothing like the picture) with a quick tweet or Facebook post, sometimes us gatekeepers need the key master to step in.