Home Health and Social Media
Home Health and Social Media Networks may not be married yet, but they are having a close personal relationship and it may be time to ask their intentions.
Turns out, many Home Health Organizations are doing just that.
Consumers are posting comments on various social media and call forums and, even more important, they expect to get a response when they do so. Companies lacking a ready method to monitor and respond to all forums face a potential backlash, while those that can quickly identify root causes of a burgeoning problem – on, for example, their Facebook pages or via Twitter (News - Alert) – can then track the problems through to resolution and create a competitive advantage.
The impact of negative customer experiences has never been greater for Home Health Organizations. Social media is not just a way to say “hello” to friends or see pictures of their kids. It also allows customers to instantly broadcast their frustrations and anger toward a certain company or location. What this means is that a relatively small number of consumers can turn a single adverse instance into a public relations nightmare within a matter of hours.
Since angry, frustrated customers will often share their negative experiences with eight to 10 people and one in five will tell 20 people, social media makes it easier to share those experiences. Companies are realizing more and more they cannot afford to ignore social media. In addition, a well-handled response to customer anger can actually increase loyalty.
Many home health organizations have decided to opt out of the social media game for this very reason. However, the opportunity to resolve customer complaints and concerns is critical to customer retention and engagement. And just because your organization does not have a Facebook or Twitter page, does not mean your customers are not talking about you. Happy customers produce the gift that keeps on giving. They remain loyal and tell their friends.
So who better to monitor and handle customer issues via social media than the call center? With so much at stake, home health is recognizing that professional call center services, monitoring and responding quickly to social media chatter with location specific comments, and the ability to glean intelligence from those customer interactions are crucial to keeping those customers loyal.
Call centers and social media monitoring are key elements of a comprehensive customer intelligence view. When combined with other customer perspectives, such as customer satisfaction metrics or social media monitoring, brands have a powerful and comprehensive view of their customer. What would a 5% improvement in retention rates do for your bottom line?
In other words, if you run or manage a home health organization, it’s time to stop hoping social media talk will just go away. It won’t.
Want to learn more about the latest in communications and technology? Contact Curacall today!