Offering customer service through social media can be difficult. People are used to speaking to a real person, and since social media is all online, businesses cannot add a personal touch to what the customer wants to be addressed.

Businesses cannot see a customer’s face or their reaction, and the tone of a business’s message may unintentionally come across as rude.

But it is possible to turn customer service into a positive experience for both businesses and their customers. Offering great online customer service is not costly; it is purely a great sales opportunity.

So if you have customers that follow your business online, here are ways you can use that to your advantage.

Create a defined social media strategy
Businesses need to incorporate social media management into their strategy that supports their objectives. They also need to know where their customers are to communicate with them. If most of them are on one platform, i.e., Facebook, then businesses should focus on that platform only. The social media strategy for that platform must be relevant and concise.

Think before you speak
Although most social platforms provide an edit or delete option, businesses need to think through how they will reply to a customer before posting anything on social media.

Fix complaints, immediately
While negative online comments or reviews from customers can be scary, businesses can prevent these, or turn them into a positive experience, by solving the customer issue immediately. Customer service is critical, and businesses need to go the extra mile and fix customer complaints as soon as possible.

Businesses could also add a personal touch in solving complaints by taking the situation “offline”. Sending a private message or giving the customer a call are also viable ways to resolve customer complaints.