See how to reply to customers on Twitter

By Joe Wadlington
Best practices

Twitter is a natural fit for customer service. It moves in real time, making it simple for customers to ask you questions, celebrate your business, or reach out if they need support. This season, a lot of people will be shopping on a deadline — making swift, easy customer service more important than ever. In fact, after receiving a positive response from a retailer, 77% of people on Twitter feel more positively towards that business.*

Read on for tips on how to:

  • Respond to customers
  • Direct more complex requests to Direct Message
  • Use positive reviews to promote your business

Respond to customers with enthusiasm

Respond quickly. Prompt customer service pays off. And when consumers don’t get an answer from a company on Twitter, 81% don’t recommend that company to their friends.* Your reply doesn't have to be formal. Respond to Tweets like you would to the person, if they'd just walked into your store. We recommend checking your Twitter at least once a day to respond to potential customers.

Click the heart on someone’s Tweet to “like” it. People like to be liked!

And don’t be afraid to use pictures, GIFs, or emojis. An enthusiastic GIF or a smiley face clearly communicates your mood (images transcend language/literacy barriers). And Twitter’s new GIF search helps you send them in just a few clicks.

Move conversations from public to private

Direct Messages are private and don’t have a character limit, so they’re perfect for conversations that are getting wordy or you would prefer to have between just you and a customer.

If a conversation is light and positive, keep it public to show other potential customers that you're reachable. It can also be valuable to address straightforward negative comments publicly, so other people can see you delivering great customer service. But if you need a customer’s personal information or the conversation is going to have a lot of back and forth, move it to Direct Message. You can do this gracefully by replying with a “Send a private message” link.

See how to easily make a “Send a private message” link.

Amplify positive reviews

By being active on Twitter and running a good business, you help ensure customers will Tweet positive reviews. These responses feel good and can be used to promote your business. By Retweeting one, you broadcast it to your followers.You can also add a quote to the Retweet, thanking the customer or reminding them to “Tweet us if you need anything else!”.

The more you use and promote your Twitter account, the more responses will pour in. Ask customers to follow you in person, in the footer of your emails, and on your websites, signage, or paper receipts. A lot of businesses also incorporate their @name into their packaging so customers feel encouraged to connect when they’re most excited about their newly purchased product.

Check Twitter today to see how potential customers are responding to you (or your competitors!), and use those opportunities create loyal customers.

Have more questions? Follow @TwitterBusiness for more tips, or check out the basics on how to create a campaign.

*Source: Twitter Customer Insight Survey, 2015

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