UK brands failing to connect with customers via Twitter

Brands are struggling to connect with users on Twitter and provide adequate customer service, with only 39% of brands with accounts responding to questions asked directly through the channel.

Despite 76% of UK organisations operating and tweeting, research from Eptica Multichannel Customer Experience, found issues with companies ability to personally respond to consumers.

The study evaluated 100 UK companies on their ability to provide answers to 10 routine questions via the web, as well as their speed and accuracy when responding to email, Twitter and via the website.

The average reply came around 8 hours and 37 minutes later.

However, according to a report last year, just 11% of people expect to receive customer service via social media. Furthermore, if companies don’t respond within the one hour time frame, 38% of people feel more negatively towards the brand, and a scorned 60% will take action against the brand using social media.

With communication between users and brands increasingly moving onto social platforms it’s never been more important to react to customers voices to avert drama. Businesses should be more wary of leaving complaints unanswered. After all, according to another recent survey, 72% of customers expect complaints on Twitter to be answered in one hour.

Here’s a useful infographic, with other insightful findings from their research: