How Banks and Credit Unions Can Establish Customer Service Protocols for Social Media
We recently noted two basic elements financial institutions often overlook in their social media marketing: community guidelines and customer service protocols. Our blog post “How 13 Banks and Credit Unions Handle Community Guidelines on Facebook” explained the importance of community guidelines to the brand experience and provided several examples. Just as important is establishing fan and follower expectations about customer service.
All brands – especially heavily regulated financial institutions – should state their social media customer service protocols clearly, and the path to assistance should be fast and easy. Unfortunately, this isn’t always the case. For those who need to update their profiles to contain information about customer service, here are some examples from banks and credit unions:
Twitter bios
Much of the text that appears in the header on a Twitter profile comes from the “bio” field, and many banks and credit unions use that area to announce customer service policies for the platform. For example, Capital One’s bio explains the purpose of its Twitter stream and points followers in the direction of help: “We’re serving up tips, tidbits + treats from travel to sports and everything in between. Need customer service? Tweet us @AskCapitalOne.” U.S. Bank’s Twitter bio spells it out in a similar way.
Twitter backgrounds
Some banks and credit unions utilize background images to convey customer service information. Text in Navy Federal Credit Union’s background image directs followers to its help account: “For products or service questions, follow @NavyFederalhelp.” PNC’s background redirects customers in a similar way, while KeyBank’s background image features the names and pictures of customer service reps.
Facebook “about” sections
Very often, text within the “about” sections on Facebook tells fans what they can – and cannot – expect in terms of customer service on the platform. Both Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank warn fans it won’t provide customer service on Facebook, and both provide alternate outlets for customers seeking help. Other banks and credit unions seem more open to the platform as a customer service channel. In SunTrust’s “about” section on Facebook, the bank states, “Talk to us, and let us know how we can help you shine today. This page is moderated M-F, 7a-7p ET.” A quick scan of “posts by others” on SunTrust’s Timeline reveals the bank openly answers customer service questions and addresses complaints, only taking it off-line at the point personal information becomes necessary.
Suggestions
- If possible, provide customers with assistance in the same platform they use to request it, as in the Capital One and U.S. Bank Twitter examples. You’ll demonstrate that you respect their time and want to make it as easy as possible to resolve their issues. Not possible? Consider a work-around behind the scenes, like Citizens Bank’s approach. The bank doesn’t support customer service on Twitter, but when followers tweet requesting assistance, the bank asks them to DM contact info so the bank can call them… which takes the added lift off the customer.
- Make service part of the conversation. When SunTrust’s Twitter reps sign off for the night, they tweet where customers can find help in their absence:
- Be clear! Wells Fargo’s Twitter bio tells followers what to expect, but it could use some clarification. It says, “We provide financial education, community news & more. For questions please contact us at Socialmedia@wellsfargo.com.” What kinds of questions can “social media” answer? Is it the fast track for customer service issues or the long way around?
- Know the limitations of featured areas on each medium. Background images can disappear behind Twitter’s main elements at certain screen widths. In addition, if images aren’t high resolution, text won’t appear crisp and clean.
- Go beyond the facts and into branding. In addition to listing customer service hours in its Twitter bio like many of the others, TD Bank also highlights its brand by placing emphasis on human connections and convenience. Its bio also features a link to a YouTube video about its social representatives. The video starts with reps introducing themselves – “Hi. My name is…” – and speaks directly to TD’s commitment to “bank human again.”
