Using social media to improve service delivery

It was very interesting reading the outpouring of hundreds of customers, reacting on social media networks in Nairobi, Kenya recently.The whole buzz started after this tweet: “My brother got arrested five minutes ago. I recommended Artcaffe to him for pastries and he has been a loyal customer since. This morning, he dropped by to pick the usual (one dozen) croissants for breakfast and the owner refused to sell to him. Reason, he is buying too many and yet he is black.” Apparently, this led to a verbal exchange between the owner and the customer who allegedly got arrested by the police. A few hours after the tweet, all social networks were bombarded with other customers sharing their poor service experiences in the past with this service provider, which has many branches in Nairobi.Beyond the alleged discriminatory and racism issues raised on many forums, what amazes me is the impact of social media in the service industry in Kenya. I particularly like the fact that many customers feel free to join in this campaign of refusing poor service delivery. They are not afraid to share their experiences and give their names.Gone are the days when customers had no option and had to suffer silently because somehow, they needed those service providers no matter how poor they were. The days when the only alternative that unhappy customers had was an archaic suggestion box that was never opened are over.In Rwanda and in many African countries, where the majority of customers are of oral culture, many will complain in their sitting rooms and among friends rather than share their complaints in public forums.Today, thanks to technology, with simple smart phones, customers have the power to express their dissatisfaction at poor service. Companies private or public, need to start listening to customers or suffer the consequences. One of the public institutions in Rwanda that efficiently uses social media to communicate to clients is the Rwanda directorate of immigration and emigration.It is obvious that the channels that customers use these days to give feedback have changed greatly. According to a recent survey, 41 per cent of people will raise a complaint by phone and 63 per cent by email, while 20 per cent take to social media networks to have a ‘good old moan’ to friends and family. And believe me, the speed at which negative feedback on social networks spreads is alarming.When I started writing the weekly column on customer care, one of the first pieces of advice I received was to avoid publishing names, especially of the ‘big’ organisations that will not appreciate negative feedback, in newspapers.The ServiceMag goes through a lot of trouble each time we publish readers’ articles, narrating their negative experiences with some of the big organisations in town. The threats will not stop us because we believe in the benefits of naming and shaming poor service providers.It is time customers in Rwanda understand that it is their right to fight for good service delivery. It is also their right to name poor service providers. Being afraid to name and shame them will not improve service standards.It is true that some companies do not respond to letters of complaints, telephone calls or email enquiries for weeks. But the good news is that as soon as you post on their Facebook wall and Twitter pages, they respond. It is regrettable though that many organisations are still not on any social media because they think this is for youngsters and not for business. Do not worry because these ‘old-timers’ will not survive in today’s marketplace.With social media today, customers have a voice. So let yours be heard even if some of the poor service providers continue to take customers’ complaints personally.The author is a customer service consultant and the publisher of The ServiceMag