As the internet progressively becomes more social, customer service has evolved from a job that primarily involves fielding angry phone calls to an entirely new mindset of digital connection and accessibility. What does social media customer service look like for a hospital, and why should you embrace it?
Social media helps organizations become more personable.
Hospitals can be intimidating and places that most people aim to avoid. Social media can transform your image to a friendly and accessible part of the local community. This creates a stronger loyalty in your patients and deeper sense of trust.
Social media allows you to converse with customers in good times and bad.
Before social media took the internet by storm, connecting with patients outside of appointments was rare. Customer service representatives typically dealt only with unhappy patients or family members. With social media, hospitals can now keep the communication lines open with past patients who are currently healthy and satisfied with their medical care.
Social media can provide patients with information on healthier living and emergency preparation.
One of the biggest complaints hospitals hear about American healthcare is that there is not enough focus on prevention, cultivating healthy habits, or educating patients on safety threats and preparation. If your hospital is failing in these areas, social media is an effective and easy way to get that important information to your community.
Social media awareness helps customer service workers find and help unhappy patients.
Not every dissatisfied patient will come directly to you with their complaints – but you better believe they are telling their friends, family, and co-workers about their bad experience. Many will turn to social media to air their grievances with the public. Reputation monitoring will ensure you are aware of these situations if they develop, and your own social media account provides a good platform for reaching out and righting wrongs.
Already using social media at your hospital? Talk to us about how it has helped your customer service. Connect with us on Twitter or Facebook!