New Facebook Tool Disrupts Customer Feedback

Facebook rolling out their new Reactions could ultimately disrupt the customer feedback market according to Callmedia’s Neil Terry.

In Feb 2009 Facebook introduced the ’like’ capability allowing users to ‘like’ any content from status updates, photos or links. Now, by popular demand, Facebook have extended their simple ‘like’ button rating system to include five new emoticons: love, haha, wow, sad and angry.

With its simple yet modern design, users can now choose from the new emotions when commenting on a status update or post. With a quick and easy tap on emoji icon the user can publicly rate the content.

What does this mean?

The new ratings mean that there is now a public facing, full 360 degree customer sentiment view of your advertisement, post or media content.

Is this a new social CSAT?

Have Facebook invented the social customer satisfaction (CSAT) survey tool? With the sentiments ranging from positive to negative being comparable to the standard 1-5 ratings on surveys you can quickly see how this could lead to surveys becoming more publicly available.

What impact could the new emoji’s have on brands?

With the choices ranging from ‘Love’ right through to ‘Angry’ there is now a very public at-a-glance summary of a customer’s feelings towards your brand. This will rapidly become another extension customers can use to express their feelings towards your brand, but in a more prominent and public way.

Companies and brands will need to pay closer attention to their customer feedback. It would be a good idea to update your social customer service guidelines immediately to ensure your business reacts and responds well to these new tools customers have been armed with.

What do the ratings really mean and how should we react?

Love – Users can show satisfaction when they really do like something. With a ‘Love’ rating you could interpret this as someone who really likes your brand and what you are doing. Perhaps you have found an advocate and you could thank or reward the user in some way for their support.

Haha – Aimed at expressing laughter – either genuine or sarcastic depending on the content. You will need to react accordingly based on the content and comments you are receiving.

Wow – Aimed at expressing a sense of joy or excitement, however, this too could be used in a sarcastic way depending on content.

Sad – For the first time users can now share their negative reaction to content. When a user rates something as ‘Sad’ its negative publicity could justify a follow up either publicly or with a private message.

Angry – Following on from the ‘Sad’ emoji, ‘Angry’ is strongest sign that someone is unhappy with your content or brand. When a user rates something as ‘Angry’, it would be well worth following up either publicly or with a private message.

In summary, Facebook have delivered a free game changer on their social media platform which will disrupt the customer feedback and customer service market. Customer feedback is now part of one the biggest social media platforms.

It is my recommendation that companies pay attention to these new changes and get familiar with them quickly. You are now armed with a great new customer service and customer satisfaction tool within Facebook, however this comes at the cost of ensuring they are also managed and customers continue to get the right attention they desire to avoid public relations disasters.