Google+ Hangouts Provide Personalized Customer Service via Social Media

November 30, 2012 Matt Leach

Matthew Leach | @MatthewLeach13 According to a Customer 1 report, happy customers who have their issues resolved will share their experiences with about 4 to 6 people. This statistic, along with others listed below, speaks volumes of the many benefits and hindrances brought about by customer service.

A dissatisfied consumer will tell between 9 and 15 people about their experience. About 13% of dissatisfied customers tell more than 20 people. (Source: White House Office of Consumer Affairs, Washington, DC)

86% of consumers quit doing business with a company because of a bad customer experience, up from 59% 4 years ago. (Source: Harris Interactive, Customer Experience Impact Report)

For every customer complaint, there are 26 other customers who have remained silent. (Source: Lee Resource Inc)

But automated phone response and personalized emails can only go so far. Even the newest form of consumer engagement with social media interaction has its limits.

Two of Google’s newest features, Google+ Hangouts and Hangouts on Air, allow businesses to interact with customers like never before with live online video chat.

Google+ Hangouts allows up to 10 people to participate in both public and private video chat sessions. The Hangouts on Air feature goes even further, providing a live stream broadcast that can be accessed by anyone and later converted into a permanent YouTube video.

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ohlHn6Kt5YM&feature=player_embedded[/youtube]

Accordingly, both features can help your business in various ways when it comes to customer engagement.

Google+ Hangouts

Conduct in house company meetings from multiple business locations.
Provide personalized assistance for individual customers, potentially saving you money on labor costs. (The screen-sharing feature comes in handy when providing online solutions.)
Conduct focus group research and encourage crowd sourcing with groups of customers.
Hold personalized meetings with clients while sharing infographics and monthly reports through the screen-sharing feature.
Pay your most valuable customers special attention with personalized video chats.

Hangouts on Air

Conduct regular panel discussions with the industry’s top experts on a topic of interest with a following Q&A.
Allow customers to provide detailed testimonials of their experiences with said product or service.
Demonstrate or introduce new products.

But this new feature isn't just confined to personal or business purposes. Our President Barack Obama chose the Google+ hangout feature as the medium to which he answered questions and concerns from American citizens in an online public setting.

While these new Google features may possibly revolutionize the ways businesses interact with their customers, they should be used with caution. It’s important to become familiar with all of Hangout’s many aspects before starting your Hangout, especially on air. When discussing your products and services, be prepared to be transparent and honest about any potential questions. Having a moderator can help significantly with guiding the conversation. And most importantly, promote the Hangout or live stream in advance for the most efficient use of your time.

Click here to get acquainted with Google+ and its Hangout features.

So whether its helping a customer solve an issue at home or simply updating a client, the Google+ Hangout features allow your business to provide a special personalization that can significantly improve your business relationships.