Online social networks can act as customer support communities

We all know that customer support can be one of the most challenging aspects of any business. Online communities can help to alleviate costs and decrease staff workload in this area. Satisfy your customers’ need for quick and easy advice through an online community where users can aid each other as well as ask for expert help and information.

Case Study: Dell Peer-to-Peer Network

Using social media marketing, Dell has built a web-based peer-to-peer network that acts as an online support community for their customers. This community allows Dell users to ask questions of each other in addition to approaching technical support staff directly. This means that common problems and simple fixes are often solved through peer advice, thus directly decreasing the workload for technical support staff.

One Dell customer has posted for the equivalent of 123 days in a year, saving Dell over $1m in support costs. He does it because he wants to help his fellow users; Dell’s online community has enabled him to do so. In this way, building online communities for customer support has a substantial and measurable return on investment. Pretty cool, right?

Community results at a glance

• A single customer has saved Dell $1million in support costs
• 9,000 ideas contributed to Dell Ideastorm
• 120 ideas put into practice - including 6 key features in the new Latitude laptop

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