The use of social media for customer
service by Chinese consumers has almost doubled in the last two years, as more
and more turn to it as a viable alternative to the phone, according to Ovum.

 

Around 30 percent of Chinese
consumers get in touch with customer service via social media to find an answer
to their queries, up from just 17 percent two years ago.

 

In addition, the number of Chinese
consumers seeking advice from customer service representatives via web chat and
web self-service channels has increased significantly, according to Ovum.  

 

Two years ago less than 20 percent
of consumers used web chat or web self-service to find information, whereas
today more than 60 percent are using these channels. In fact, web chat and web
self-service are the second most widely used channels today among Chinese
consumers, with the most popular option being a direct call with a customer
service representative.

 

The use of social media for customer
service will quickly catch up with web chat and web self-service channels. The
number of Chinese consumers using social media for customer service today is
significantly higher compared to the UK and US.

 

In emerging contact center markets
such as China, consumers are keen to experiment with new forms of media.
Contact centers must evolve with their customers, providing information via the
web and responding to social queries on forums to ensure that customers receive
accurate product and service information,” said Aphrodite Brinsmead, Ovum
analyst and author of a new report.

 

Ovum’s survey found that the most
popular uses of social media by Chinese consumers for customer service are
discussion boards and forums. Out of those respondents using social media for
customer service, more than 50 percent said they had started a discussion about
a company in a forum while almost 50 percent stated they had responded to
someone’s question. Meanwhile almost 50 percent have used social media as a
channel to complain about bad service or a faulty product.

 

However, despite the high number of
Chinese consumers using social media and a rapidly evolving web culture, Ovum’s
survey revealed that respondents still view a telephone call with a customer
service representative as the best method when it comes to resolving an issue
on the first attempt.

 

Contact centers need to improve
information across social media, blogs and forums so that customers are able to
find answers to questions faster and with reduced effort.

 

By
TelecomLead.com Team
[email protected]