Social media is often utilized by companies for customer service, and a new U.K. study reveals it may not be as important as once believed.
eDigitalResearch surveyed over 2000 people in the U.K., asking the following questions:
If you were going to get in touch with a company, by what means would you expect to be able to contact them? Please tick all that apply vs. Thinking of the last time you got in touch with a company, how did you contact them?
Surprisingly, only 11 percent expected to be able to contact a company through social media. 22 percent responded with online/live chat, and a whopping 45 percent said via snail mail.
Email and phone were the top two answers, with 92 percent expecting to be able to contact a company through email, and 71 percent via phone.
When it came to actually contacting brands versus expected contact, here were the top responses from most to least used:
- Telephone
- Live online chat and letter/post
- Face to face
- Social media
Individuals were also asked how long it took to hear back from a company. Through social media and live online chat, nearly 90 percent heard back within 24 hours, and nearly 80 percent heard back within 24 hours via face to face contact.
Nearly 60 percent heard back within 24 hours via email, and around 60 percent of the time it took 48 hours or more to hear back via snail mail. Combined, nearly one in 10 didn’t receive a response.
While social media can result in quick response times, this study shows that despite the explosion of various platforms, email and telephone still remain king for customer service.
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