Social media for customer service summit

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tom.ollerton

I’m going to be chairing two panels at the The Social Media for Customer Service Summit, which takes place in London on Monday and Tuesday next week.

The main problem with chairing panels at social media conferences is that most people agree with each other. When talking about social at a macro level the principles are largely the same, listen, be transparent – yawn yawn yawn. This gets trotted out over and over again and panelists tell the expectant audience that “it’s all about engagement” as if it is hot off the press information.

In fairness social media is a young industry that has been born out of a young industry (digital), and although the technology moves very quickly, human nature doesn’t. It’s my guess that a panelist at a social media conference in 3 years time could say “it’s all about having a conversation with your consumers” and they’d probably still be right.

But this doesn’t make for a great panel debate unfortunately. So I need your help.

The first panel is called “Improve your Customer Retention – If you build it, they will come. But how do you persuade them to stay?” with Georgina Wald, Head of Corporate Comms at Domino’s, Sue Roscoe, Customer Focus Manager at QVC, Joshua Marsh, CEO at Conversocial and Anita Hudson, Digital Manager, Social Media at Lloyds TSB.

What should I ask them to get a fiery debate going? I’m more than happy to credit you with the question (unless it’s sexual).

The second panel is “An effective listening and monitoring programme “Prick up your social ears” with David Parkinson General Manager, Social and Digital Engagement at Nissan and Naomi Trickey, Sales Director EMEA at Brandwatch.

David and I have been discussing recording the session and selling CD’s afterwards on twitter and perhaps even a Glastonbury performance to follow up but nothing has been set in stone yet.