While social media is the fastest growing communications avenue, it is not necessarily a favorite from a customer satisfaction standpoint. In fact, Facebook finished dead last among all companies measured in the 2011 American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) E-Business Report, out this week.
Social media in general did not do well in this study, which analyzes how users feel about online media, including news sites, search engines and social networks. In fact, industry-wise, social media fared better than only than airlines, newspapers and pay TV services. By contrast, Wikipedia was the top social media site among satisfied customers, with YouTube taking second place.
Why the low marks for Facebook and others? Too much unnecessary tinkering and supposed improvements. Can anyone remember the last time Facebook or Twitter added or changed a function that actually added value or generated user accolades? Change for the sake of change or to generate headlines is usually ill-advised.
Moreover, when was the last time you can recall top social media sites actually asking or surveying their customers – whether formally or informally – on likes and dislikes in order to gain a consensus on what changes or augmentations might be needed?
The old rule of thumb holds true here: If it ain’t broke, why fix it?