The Rise of Social Networking and Emerging Channels in Customer Service (Strategic Focus)

The Rise of Social Networking and Emerging Channels in Customer Service (Strategic Focus) published by Datamonitor in May, 2009. This report consists of 41 pages and the price starts from US $ 3995.

Introduction

Abstract

Introduction

Oprah Winfrey and Ashton Kutcher use social networking services, making headlines across the globe and raising consumer awareness of these emerging communications channels. But some leading edge companies have started to offer customer service and support through social media.

Scope of this research

• Primary research consisting of interviews with providers of social networks, social media monitoring tools and contact center infrastructure suites.
• Direct interviews with providers of telecommunications services, CRM suites, knowledge management applications and systems integration services.
• Extensive secondary research drawing from the mainstream press, technology trade journals and academic journal articles.

Research and analysis highlights

This report examines the potential market for customer service provided through online social networking and how that customer service might be expanded to formal contact centers. It looks at the trends driving customer service on social networking sites and provides case studies of current use cases.

Additionally, it examines the technological and cultural barriers to having formal contact centers handling social media-driven customer service interactions, as well as the benefits of doing so. It also presents a potential competitive landscape, breaking down vendors that might have a role in this future market.

Key reasons to purchase this research

• Understand the current use of social media for providing customer service.
• Learn how companies can benefit from bringing social media into their contact centers.
• Learn which companies will help facilitate contact center' s adoption of social media.

Table of Contents

OVERVIEW

• Catalyst
• Summary

KEY MESSAGES

• Social networking usage is exploding
• Companies are capitalizing on online social networking as a tool for marketing
• Companies have started to use social networking for customer service
• Customer interaction technology vendors have an opportunity to help provide scalability
• Social media interactions in the contact center would provide visibility and accountability
• Contact center-provided customer service through social networking is the Wild West

MARKET OPPORTUNITY

• Barriers to adoption of social media in contact centers
  • Technological issues create barriers
  • Process and cultural issues must be addressed

• Large set of potential benefits of social media-based customer service
  • Deepening customer intimacy
  • Customers get instant gratification
  • Customers helping each other
  • Higher self-service rates
  • Different demographics
  • Powering inexpensive outbound alerts

CUSTOMER IMPACT: FOUR EMERGING CHANNELS EXPLORED

• Twitter - 140 characters, but a big voice
  • @Comcastcares
  • @WholeFoods
  • @VirginAmerica
  • @MountainViewPD
  • @magiccurrykart

• Facebook - vampires, food fights and customer self-service
  • Dented Reality
  • Glocalnet
  • Coca-Cola

• Google - general search as a tool for service
• Second Life - support and commerce go virtual

COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE

• CRM and knowledge management vendors
  • Salesforce.com
  • Parature
  • Knowledge management vendors

• Social media monitoring vendors
• Radian6

• Contact center infrastructure vendors
  • Aspect Software
  • Avaya

• Online social networks
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Google
  • Get Satisfaction

• Co-opetition will be the norm for now

GO TO MARKET

• Integration between different parts of the social media puzzle
• Acquisition as an entree into social media
• Small to medium enterprises: underserved again?
• Recommendations
  • Don' t get hung up on the network
  • Recruit experts in change management
  • Don' t be afraid of personality
  • Treat social media as cross-channel, not multi-channel
  • Use social networks

APPENDIX

• Definitions
• Methodology
• Further reading
• Ask the analyst
• Datamonitor consulting
• Disclaimer

TABLES

• Table: Facebook' s popularity around the world

FIGURES

• Figure: Twitter' s ranking among most popular sites on the internet, February - April 2009
• Figure: The online social media universe
• Figure: Countries of origin of Twitter' s users
• Figure: The Twitter fail whale
• Figure: Commerce in Second Life
• Figure: The social media conversation cycle

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