How Social Media Is Changing Customer Service [INFOGRAPHIC]

People of all ages are turning to the Internet and social media when it comes to solving customer service issues, according to an infographic released by Our Social Times. It was found that “15% of 16-24 year-olds prefer to interact with customer service on social media over any other method,” which means they’re the forerunners in this shift.

Rather than calling up companies when they have trouble with a product or brand, individuals now watch video tutorials (25% of us). And 33% pose questions in an online forum, while 4% ask questions on Twitter directed at the company. Surprisingly, 60% of companies don’t respond to queries posted on their social media sites.

In order for a brand to be successful, its social media pages must be places “where consumers can go to get answers to any of their questions.” With people spending more time than ever on the Internet, thanks to portable devices (cell phones, laptops, and tablets), it’s only reasonable that the customer service platforms will change as well. Companies must adapt to these changes, seeing as how one of the youngest demographics using the Internet is increasingly turning to social media sites for customer service problems.

Image courtesy of Flickr, Alex Ragone