How Social Media Is Transforming Customer Service for Modern Businesses

Increases the Speed of Customer Service

Social media is about instantly connecting to someone else, and customer service through social media is no different. When your friend posts a status update on Facebook or publishes a tweet on Twitter, you want to respond right away.

Similarly, when customers ask questions or make comments on a company’s social media page, they want a response right away.

This need for instant gratification is growing and affects the way a business handles customer service. In 2025, 56 percent of the top 50 brands failed to respond to a single comment on their Facebook page from a customer. As more customers expect same-day responses to their social media posts, businesses are forced to keep up with the demand. If they fail, it reflects poorly on them and they lose business.

In fact, just to handle these complaints and questions as soon as possible, some companies create new positions just for social media comments.

Publicizes the Customer’s Feedback

Social media is, after all, social. In the past, your complaint or comment wasn’t known to others unless you decided to tell someone (and that was limited to a small group). However, with social media, your comment, complaint, or praise becomes public.

Everyone who follows the company in question can see that you didn’t like the way you were treated at its restaurant or that you felt its product was poorly made. Everyone sees this, and it affects their desire to do business with that company.

In addition, they can share that with everyone who follows them, reaching hundreds and thousands of other potential customers.

It isn’t only your comment that’s being scrutinized. The way the company replies to your comment is also seen by hundreds, thousands, or even millions. If it ignores your complaint or gives a trite response, it shows and affects the perception of the company.

Some customers may choose a different business just on the way it responds to social media questions and complaints.

Puts the Power in the Customer’s Hand

Sites like Facebook and Twitter are changing customer service for the better. With the use of smartphones, access to these sites is literally in the palm of your hand. Using your smartphone, you can access businesses from all around the world and communicate with them, asking questions about a service or voicing complaints via their social media page.

Just about everyone has a smartphone, especially since you don’t even have to commit to a contract anymore. For example, T-mobile offers prepaid phones, so there’s no excuse not to have your voice heard by posting your passing thoughts about a service or product.

For every one person who actually calls a company to complain, ask a question, or even give praise, there are countless others who have something to say but don’t bother taking the time to call.

However, social media makes posting a comment fast and painless. Instead of waiting on hold for 10, 20, or 30 minutes, you can use your smartphone to blast a tweet or post a comment about the company in just a few quick seconds.

Conclusion

Social media isn’t disappearing anytime soon. It’s shaping and redesigning the way people interact with each other — and that includes companies.