NYC start-up keeps customer care real on chat, social and mobile
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Bad travel and hospitality services. Scripted customer care messages. Slow assistance. Mix them all together with social media, and you have a potential customer service hot spot for travel service providers.
In an era where live tweeting trip delays and posting Instagram photos of maintenance issues have overtaken lodging complaints through a check-in desk or a toll-free number, a New York start-up prides itself on ‘turning customer service into customer loyalty.’ Conversocial helps companies handle their social and mobile channels like call centres. They cut right into bad word-of-mouth through a platform that makes sure travellers can get the help they need easily and in real-time.
They don’t depend on chatbots or canned responses.
They work with brands to use digital touchpoints to build meaningful relationships with customers. I like their approach of expanding a brand’s view of customer service. It’s about speaking to customers across platforms (particularly mobile and social messaging), fixing issues, and tracking statuses. Brands also build equity as well served customers share their experience in social channels.
What stood out for me as a strength is their focus on teaching client staff to answer each complaint with sincerity. They don’t depend on chatbots or canned responses. They advocate talking to customers and finding real solutions, not just taking down notes and passing the buck around. No wonder Conversocial has been getting love from clients like Icelandair, Alaska Airlines, Travelodge, Hyatt, Hertz, and the Great Western Railway!
This proactive stance towards transforming negative feedback to positive resolution definitely comes in handy in the tourism and hospitality industries, where a slight comment can make or break entire even the largest brands. Since these industries are heavy on human interaction, any opportunity to create a positive connection with customers is important, which is what Conversocial provides.
No wonder Conversocial has been getting love from clients!
Conversocial’s platform funnels each complaint through only one single contact representative from the brand’s side, at a channel that a customer is most comfortable using. It also encourages directing conversations from ‘public spheres’ like Facebook, Instagram and Youtube to ‘private spaces’ like Facebook Messenger and SMS so as to hide sensitive information like booking details. Finally, Conversocial draws from the legacy of digital community channels, like forums, by bringing together brand experts, advocates and contact centre agents to help solve customer problems on networks like Twitter.
Their social media résumé is impressive. They have preferred marketing partner relationships with Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
Conversocial also works with other start-ups focused on customer satisfaction. These partners are Brandwatch, which provides real-time coverage and access to public conversations online; Synthesio, which turns customer inquiries found in blogs, forums and news sites into valuable, easily understood insights; and inSided, which harnesses forums and other community channels to resolve problems in a faster, more cost-efficient manner.
So if you’re a travel or hospitality company feeling the pressure from high traveller expectations, I’m giving Conversocial a “Must Check this Out” rating. Look out for an upcoming interview with Conversocial’s founder and CEO, Joshua March on TD soon!
