How These Brands Use Social Media for Customer Service

84% of social media marketers who responded to our Social Media Marketing survey predict that, in 2023, consumers' most preferred channels for customer service will be social media DMs. In fact, one in five Gen Zers, millennials, and Gen Xers have contacted a brand through social media DMs in the past three months.

Measuring up to consumer preference, more than half of social media marketers’ companies offer service on social media and 43% have a service rep tasked with answering DMs.

Aside from answering DMs, what are some of the ways brands leverage social media for customer service? Read on to learn how Southwest Airlines, Aircall, and Telfar are helping customers.

How Southwest Airlines, Aircall, and Telfar Use Social Media for Customer Service

1. Southwest Airlines - Crisis Management

Southwest Airlines experienced a significant business crisis during the travel season of December 2022 from winter storms. The delays lasted more than a week and no doubt produced hundreds of customer complaints and inquiries daily.

Travelers affected by the delays and cancellations took to social media, namely Twitter, to document their experience and share their worries.

The airline leveraged travelers’ presence on Twitter and used the channel for social media crisis management by tweeting a video from the CEO that shared need-to-know updates for stranded passengers and its plans to rectify the situation.

The best way to communicate critical information with customers during a crisis is to share it with them where they’re most likely to see it, and Southwest Airlines did exactly that.

2. Aircall - Proactive Customer Service

Julie Fernandez, Global Senior Communications Manager at Aircall, says, “When it comes to customer support, we see social media platforms as a huge opportunity to proactively communicate with prospects and customers alike.”

Aircall focuses the most on LinkedIn and Twitter but says the best platforms to use vary from brand to brand depending on target market and buyer personas. In the image below, Aircall shares a link to a live tutorial series for users to learn how to use one of its integrations — an excellent example of proactive service by sharing helpful information before an issue may arise.

Image Source

Fernandez also says that there’s value in bringing conversations off of social media to ensure people get the support they need — “We want to make sure they receive the best quality support, and we find when our team can talk about the issue over the phone, it’s far more impactful than going back and forth over social media,” emphasizing the importance of an omnichannel customer service strategy.

3. Telfar - Meeting Customers Where They Are

Fashion brand Telfar is a great example of how brands can leverage multiple channels to provide service and that many platforms' built-in service tools can make managing and handling issues easier for both parties.

The brand uses Instagram business chat to provide support to customers over DM. It offers four Quick Reply prompts for customers to choose from based on FAQs, or people can send a message with their unique issue or question.

Image Source

Telfar also uses Twitter for service, frequently replying to mentions to bring quick answers and build relationships with customers on the platform.

Maintaining a service presence on multiple platforms ensures that everyone with a query can take steps to solve their needs wherever they want and when they want to. The easier it is for people to reach out, the higher likelihood of providing a satisfactory customer experience.

Take inspiration from Southwest Airlines, Aircall, and Telfar on how you can elevate your social media customer service, whether reacting during a crisis or answering a question about tracking info.