LONDON, August 7, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --
#Top50SocialPioneers for customer service leads the industry to recognise the power of social media
Top 50, the unique benchmarking initiative of leading event organiser UBM Live, is excited to announce the launch of the first ever Top 50 Social Pioneers (#Top50SocialPioneers) campaign. The organisers of renowned industry exhibition Call Centre & Customer Management Expo have developed the world's first customer-led benchmarking tool to determine the most effective brands that respond to customer needs via social media. Brands are benchmarked against their competitors and will be rewarded with a nationally recognised accolade, as part of the 2013 Top 50 Companies for Customer Service Programme.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130723/629764-a )
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130807/633624 )
In-depth research was conducted over an 18 month period to determine what drives customer service excellence in the innovative and dynamic Platforms of Twitter and Facebook. Using a range of consumer research, online panels and focus groups got a definitive understanding of what the public want from the ideal customer service interaction.
Leading businesses including; Appliances Online, Aviva, BT, Met Office, NatWest, Virgin Media and many more have already signed up to differentiate the customer service that they provide over others in the industry. As customers now expect higher standards, social media has served to highlight this further, mostly by poor customer experience stories going 'viral', coupled with service success stories posted by people who have high volumes of followers to share them with.
Shaun Hewitt, Head of eService, Virgin Media, said: "We invested a significant amount of time and effort into our social media strategy and have implemented a dedicated team to ensure that our services remain high at all times. We are able to interact directly with our customers and form relationships in a way that couldn't be done through a call centre. We're proud to be a pioneer in the Social Media Top 50 as it gives us a great way to benchmark against our competitors."
Social media is now a direct reflection of the service of a business. Owned by marketing and communications teams, there is increasing insight into the overall customer journey, the best contact centres are seen as data hubs for the organisation. Businesses have taken the corporate decision to give social media ownership to marketing and communications teams, but the scrutiny that social media now engenders means that while it may not be owned by customer service it's actually a direct reflection of the service of a business.
Sarah Evans, Webchat and Social Media, NatWest said: "Here at NatWest we aim to provide the best customer service, to do this we need to be where our customers are. That's why we've developed a dedicated service approach on social media that allows us to interact directly with our customers in a unique and helpful way. Social Media is becoming more and more important as a customer engagement channel, and we are constantly changing and evolving to ensure we offer the best experience possible. We're proud to be recognised for this as part of the Top 50."
Ashley Williamson, Head of Partnerships, Top 50 said: "We have responded to how the industry is growing and recognise the importance of customer engagement via social media. With increasing insight into the overall customer journey, the best contact centres are seen as data hubs for the organisation. We are excited to be leading the industry for recognising the real impact social media now holds when engaging customers and the brand impact it has."
To be eligible to stake a claim as a member of the Top 50 Social Pioneers, a benchmarking report will rank a company's position across Twitter or Facebook and make recommendations on how they can improve the service. All assessments measured against key performance indicators like CSat, NPS, customer effort, loyalty, brand perception and trust.
Automatic entry will be given into the Top 50 Gala Dinner recognition programme, where two worthy team members will be able enjoy the prestigious evening at the Park Plaza, Westminster Bridge, London on 24th October 2013. For more information, visit live.callcentre.co.uk/top50 or contact Ashley Williamson, Head of Partnerships, Top 50 on 020-7955-3976 or ashley.williamson@ubm.com. Join the #Top50SocialPioneers conversation @callcentrefocus
About UBM Live
UBM Live connects people and creates opportunities for companies across five continents to develop new business, meet customers, launch new products, promote their brands and expand their markets. Through premier brands such as CPhI, IFSEC, TFM&A, Call Centre & Customer Management Expo, International Confex and many others, UBM Live exhibitions, conferences, awards programs, publications, websites and training and certification programs are an integral part of the marketing plans of companies across more than 20 industry sectors.
Share this article