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How Social Customer Service is Changing the Culture at Comcast

Comcast and service are two words that have been closely aligned and analyzed since Frank Eliason initiated the @ComcastCares program on Twitter. Eliason built a new channel for engaging customers to solve their problems. More importantly, he also developed a new infrastructure at Comcast to learn from their experiences. Frank has since joined CITI, but before his departure, he solidified the future of @ComcastCares by placing it in the hands of Bill Gerth and Kip Wetzel. Under the direction of Gerth and Wetzel, Comcast’s social customer service program continues to develop a culture of customer-centricity. At the same time, the team is leading internal efforts to transform products, processes, and services to not just respond to negative experiences, but also improve them to eliminate problems in the future.

Kip Wetzel, Sr. Director Social Media Servicing & Strategy, Comcast joins (R)evolution to share Comcast’s vision for service and why customer service becomes a key that unlocks a new generation of customer relationships.

This episode was recorded during the SalesForce Social Advisory Board meeting in San Francisco. Participants included brand managers from the likes of Disney, Livingsocial, P&G, Nissan, SunTrust, Dunkin Donuts, Get Satisfaction, and VW, we address the need for businesses to not only react to conversations but also lead them.

Please take some time to watch the episode and share your thoughts with us…

Season 2 – Episode 10

Season Two:

S2E1: How Mercedes Benz Successfully Uses Social Media to Engage

S2E2: Technorati’s Richard Jalichandra on the State and Future of Social Media

S2E3: Guy Kawasaki on the Art of Enchantment

S2E4: Adly CEO Arnie Gullov-Singh on the Social Era of Celebrity Endorsements

S2E5: Filmmaker and Webby Awards Founder Tiffany Shlain

S2E6: Jim Louderback, Revision3 CEO on the Future of Broadcast and Web Television – Part 1 of 2

S2E7: Jim Louderback, Revision3 CEO on the Future of Broadcast and Web Television – Part 2 of 2

S2E8: Marcel LeBrun of Salesforce Radian6 on the Future of Social Media Monitoring

S2E9: Our Digital Society in the Next 30 Years: An Interview with John Battelle

Watch Season One on YouTube

Now on iTunes!

28 COMMENTS ON THIS POST To “How Social Customer Service is Changing the Culture at Comcast”

  1. Digipendent says:

    Cheers Brian – looking forward to the horseshoe graphic!

  2. don warner saklad says:

    Please get rid of repetitive announcements at 1-800-COMCAST and too many menu options delaying callers just to get to the point to be put on hold !

  3. Great interview! I just used it as an example in a Direct Marketing class I teach for a local University
    btw….I pre-ordered your new book “The End of Business as Usual” and I’m sure it’s as good as “Engage”!
    Thanks for all you do!

  4. Jean Parks says:

    Great interview here! When I’ve tweeted about a Comcast problem, response came within hours & the Comcast reps were fun to engage with, Comcast please keep it up!

  5. Comcast has one of the best social media-based support systems in existence. Good effort by them.

  6. webpromo says:

    Written simply and tastefully. It’s pleasant to read. Thank u.

  7. Great Interview! Comcast social media-based support system is doing a very good work.

  8. Yang says:

    It is nice to know Comcast has
    done such a good job on its social customer service. Just a few days ago, I know
    from another PR blog that Comcast pay much attention to value their customer
    satisfaction though social media. There is no doubt that Comcast is one of the
    models for other brands to deal social media. And the way to solve customers’
    problems though twitter is effective.

  9. Brian:

    Although Comcast has certainly received a lot of praise for their use of Twitter in customer care, I have yet to see any analysis of the costs and payback.  What’s more, support through Twitter has done nothing to stop Comcast’s perennial run on lists of “worst customer care” and beyond the PR value and continued clamoring by folks making money on “social” where’s the beef?  They have been doing this for years now and should be able to provide a very clear ROI.  

    What am I missing and can anyone point to real payback to justify all this fan fair?

        

  10. I also wanted to say that my family and business uses Comcast and I personally have found their customer care and service to be excellent.   Chuck

  11. The lack of response speaks volumes.  Can no one define an ROI and tangible payback for Comcast’s usage of Twitter in customer care?

    • briansolis says:

      Hey Chuck, I’ve been on the road so sorry I missed these comments. I’ll ask Comcast and see if they’ll let me write a post about it.

    • Hey Brian:

      Thanks.  I appreciate you following up on this.  Welcome back from your trip.  Chuck

    • briansolis says:

      Hello Chuck, no promises as to whether I’ll get the permission to answer publicly, but it is a question that they have an answer to.

    • Hey Brian:  Unless I missed it along the way, I don’t think Comcast or anyone touting their great success using Twitter in customer care has ever identified a tangible ROI.  I look forward to hearing more.  Chuck

    • Other than tons of PR value, I have to conclude that Comcast never has found an ROI for using Twitter for customer care.  

      I absolutely believe that “social” is an important component for any organization’s strategy, but too much of the drum banging thus far is coming from people financially motivated to push “social” rather than from the folks that actually have to pay for it.  

      The gold rush days of Y2K fear-based selling have many parallels to those now selling “social.”

  12. Magda Zakrzewski says:

    The worst customer service IN THE WORLD

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