I often get asked or hear the question being asked at conferences or roundtables about social media customer service: We’re on Twitter, do I need to be on there 24/7?
I am not sure why this question gets asked. Opening hours have very little to do with Twitter, but a lot to do with how a company not only views its customers, but how they wish to engage with them.
Whilst some companies have made the transition to call centres which are open 24/7, the traditional 9-5, 5 day week legacy still dictates opening hours for the majority.
If you do observe your customers, they will tell you how long you need to be on Twitter for, and if your hours don’t fit in with your customers, just let them know when you will be on and what they should do if they need to contact you outside of your stated hours. Customers won’t mind when you’re open, as long as you inform them.
At a recent conference a customer service director for a travel company told the audience that the peak times for buying tickets was a Sunday night. How many call centres do you know are opened on a Sunday night?
Ultimately, if you’re going to ignore the answer anyway, save yourself from asking the question.
