It’s not often you’ll find exceptional customer service these days. You may end-up speaking with a customer service rep who clearly dislikes their job or a rep who is simply apathetic to your need. In fact, good luck if you even speak with a human. Many customer service phone lines are touch-tone menu with the expectation you’ll resolve your issue on your own. Bah humbug to crappy customer service, right?

Social media has opened the door to personalized customer service, timely responses to customer needs and wants, trouble-shooting tech issues and cultivating a relationship with customers.

Suggestions for how you can improve customer service via social media:

• Respond to questions and comments on Facebook within 24 hours
• Reply to tweets within 24 hours
• Retweet your answer if you feel it adds value to the rest of your customers/followers
• If you don’t know the answer, reply that you’ll circle back shortly with the information
• Be honest. Customers do not like “playing games” or “feeling in the dark”
• If a big issue erupts, affecting a majority of your customers, it’s best to simply do a Facebook update acknowledging the issue and your commitment to find a resolution.

Some brands that get customer service right on social media:

• Zappos: Facebook and @zappos_service
• Hootsuite: @hootsuite_help
• Zazzle: Facebook and @zazzle
• Best Buy: Facebook and @twelpforce
• Jet Blue: @jetblue

What brands have you seen do customer service right on social media?