Customer Service Is Going Social [Infographic]

Usually when a company wants to get in touch with real customer sentiment, it'll put some ears on the streets to get unfiltered opinions and feedback. But increasingly, more companies are putting their ears on the tweets instead.

Social media has become one of the most significant forces in modern communication and it's not one that businesses can afford to ignore.

Many companies have already set up official profiles on the major social media platforms like Twitter and Facebook. But it's important to do more than just broadcast official news and announcements. Smart companies are using social media to listen to and serve their customers.

For example, Pepco, a public utility supplying electric power to the Washington D.C. metropolitan area, uses its @PepcoConnect Twitter account to answer customer queries. You can imagine how useful it is to have a social media account you can reach when your home or business loses power.

Bluewolf, a consulting firm, compiled the trends in social customer service into an infographic. In 2010, only 25 percent of businesses were using social media to answer customer questions, but by 2020, more than 90 percent are predicted to do so, according to Bluewolf's data.

Check out the full infographic from Bluewolf via DailyInfographic, below