UK: Social media use triples and consumers turn to social to make complaints

In January 2014, 3% of consumers in the UK said they went on to a social platform such as Facebook, Twitter, Instagram or Google+ to make a complaint about a brand. That figure now stands at 1 in 4, according to the Institute of Customer Service's survey of 2,195 consumers coupled with in-depth interviews with 12 senior customer service executives.

Social media platforms are also used to complain by 12% of consumers once traditional methods such as telephone and email proven ineffective.

"We have reached a point where social media is not just a necessary component of a credible customer service strategy but one which offers powerful insights that drive better innovation, co-creation and collaboration," said Jo Causon, CEO of The Institute of Customer Service. "To make this a reality, social media needs to be a central part of a coherent, sustained and long-term focus on customer service strategy, something that many organisations are yet to do."

According to a new report from Ofcom, the use of social media has tripled among Internet users in the UK over the past eight years. Today, almost three-quarters (72%) of people in the UK have a social media profile compared to just 22% in 2007. Furthermore, 81% now log on to social network websites or apps at least once a day, up from 30% in 2007.

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Tags: customer service, social media, social network, UK