Customer service is important for most service-based companies as a way to keep customers satisfied. Customer service centers around the world answer phones when customers call complaining about your product or in-store service, answer e-mails and maybe even reward the response with a free gift. But why doesn’t a company respond when customers use Facebook and Twitter?

After conducting a worldwide study on using social networking for customer service a few months ago, DMG Consulting estimated that 63% of enterprises already use social media for a variety of activities. This includes some form of customer service. That said only few organizations have figured out how to use social media effectively to achieve and ameliorate their profit margins. What do you think?

With the proliferation of social media today, I find it paradoxical how service-based companies ignore their true ‘selling point’ or brand image on the web. Is there an explanation? Maybe the best practices, which are essential to facilitate the process just don’t exist yet? Apple, Best Buy, Google, Dell and HP are examples of companies developing dedicated “social care” channels, but their strategies are conducted in many different ways. Could it be that social media platforms just simply isn’t the place to solve service-related problems? Social media doesn’t always allow for enough detail, and companies might be frightened that certain unfortunate subjects will go viral and therefore create negative publicity. That said I think it’s just a matter of time before ignoring to react on customers complains on social media is as far out as if companies didn’t pick up the phone.