Introduction

In today’s competitive, global world, it is ever crucial for organizations to develop a strong sense of company culture and continually improve customer service skills and policies. With a growing customer service sector, demand continues to increase for competent employees with ample skills. Alongside these developments, the job market continues to change, from available positions to salaries. The businesses that prioritize customer service continue to deliver outstanding business growth and position themselves as leaders in their industries.

As technology has evolved and consumers increasingly have access to mobile devices, social media has skyrocketed to its current position as an evolved conduit for one-on-one conversation with businesses. Instead of making a phone call or visiting a brick-and-mortar store, consumers are using social media to directly converse with companies to answer their questions, solve problems, and submit feedback.

Information

Although the range varies, Glassdoor (2020) lists the average base pay of a social media customer service representative as $27,834, with additional cash compensation showing a range of $344 – $8,260. Alternatively, Paysa (2020) shares an average yearly salary of $38,916 for social media customer service specialists, with 67% of reported specialists holding a bachelor’s degree. Skills needed for those in the social media sector of customer service include the Microsoft suite of software (e.g., Excel, Word, Outlook), phone skills, excellent time management, and sales. Although not specifically social media-oriented, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019) submits similar numbers for the annual average wage for a customer service representative at $37,320.

If an organization does not have a positive, energetic culture identified and practiced, there could be many financial ramifications, consequences, and customers disaffecting. Alan Kohll (2018) shared data reported by CultureIQ in Forbes that when employees feel an influential culture within, they rate the attributes of their company 20% higher. Although building company culture comes at a cost and investment, there are many benefits. Employee loyalty, work performance, and morale are areas that benefit from improvements in company culture, helping to deliver a better experience for customers. Elen Veenpere (n.d.) shares that company culture is so vital that there is a direct correlation; companies with positive culture deliver excellent customer service, and those with no culture investment have poor customer service. It is also important to note that every organization is unique, so that internal culture will be unique too.

In the landscape of business, there exist a few organizations standing apart from the competition with their focus and commitment to providing the best in customer service. Claire Cortese (2019) lists Trader Joe’s, Shopify and Amazon as three businesses coming out far ahead of their rivals. Ultimately, there is an importance in impressing the customer, and going above and beyond their initial expectations. When a customer is impressed, they will keep coming back for more as a returning customer, essential when there are so many options for the same products and services globally. Aside from data alone, I can attest personally to the advanced customer service provided by these three companies, and their dedication to fixing problems and ensuring a valuable, attentive experience always.

Trader Joe’s, specifically, is noted for their commitment to employees and rewarded with employees who do their best to give customers a happy experience. Forbes lists Trader Joe’s as one of America’s top employers (Elliott, 2018). Shopify is noted for creating a Twitter account dedicated entirely to solving customer issues, so there is an ease-of-access to getting problems fixed by the company. (Cortese, 2019). Amazon has a reputation for being one of the most accessible online retailers to make a return with, including the ability to answer questions personally for their many customers. Sophia Bernazzani (2020) lists fast response times, feedback collection, and empowering customers as ways to deliver improved customer service, delighting customers so they will help to create referrals and new customers for the organization. Continually asking customers how they feel about services, collecting feedback in the form of surveys, and building a knowledgebase are all ways an organization can better gather and organize feedback. Without feedback, there is no foundation from which to build a solid customer service policy and framework.

Summary/Conclusion

Q. 1. What are the projected salaries and benefits for a social media customer service provider?

  • After analyzing mean numbers from Glassdoor (2020), Paysa (2020), and the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019), the average annual income from these three sources for a social media customer service representative is $34,690. Benefits tend to be determined based on an individual company’s offerings.

Q. 2. How does organizational behavior and culture impact service delivery?

  • When an organization invests in building culture and curating employee happiness, the employees will take care of the customer and deliver superior service. There are many long-term benefits from investing in company culture.

Q. 3. What three companies have adopted a positive customer service attitude and are benefiting as a result?

  • Amazon, Shopify and Trader Joe’s are three companies with a positive customer service attitude and are rewarded with loyal customers, increased sales reported consistently over time and employees who believe in their work and employer.

References

Cortese, Claire (2019). 20 Examples of Companies With the Best Customer Service. Bluleadz.com. Retrieved June 14, 2020 from the Bluleadz web site:
https://www.bluleadz.com/blog/companies-with-the-best-customer-service

Elliott, Christopher (2018). These Companies Have The Best Customer Service. Forbes.com. Retrieved June 14, 2020 from the Forbes web site:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/christopherelliott/2018/07/11/these-companies-have-the-best-customer-service-heres-why/#282e8198b80a

Glassdoor (2000). Social Media Customer Service Representative Salaries. Glassdoor.com. Retrieved June 12, 2020 from the Glassdoor web site:
https://www.glassdoor.com/Salaries/social-media-customer-service-representative-salary-SRCH_KO0,44.htm

Kohll, Alan (2018). How To Build A Positive Company Culture. Forbes.com. Retrieved June 14, 2020 from the Forbes web site:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/alankohll/2018/08/14/how-to-build-a-positive-company-culture/#31c6fc6149b5

Paysa (2020). Social Media Customer Service Specialist Salaries. Paysa.com. Retrieved June 14 2020, from the Paysa website:
https://www.paysa.com/salaries/social-media-customer-service-specialist–t

U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (2019). May 2019 National Occupational Employment and Wage Estimates. BLS.gov. Retrieved June 12, 2020 from the BLS web site:
https://stats.bls.gov/oes/current/oes_nat.htm

Veenpere, Elen (n.d.). How to Build a Strong Customer Service Culture (Without Copying Disney). GrooveHQ.com. Retrieved June 14, 2020 from the Groove web site:
https://www.groovehq.com/blog/customer-service-culture