Customer Interaction Management goes Social: Getting Business Processes plugged in Social Networks

Within this chapter, we will describe a novel technical service dealing with the integration of social networking channels into existing business processes. Since many businesses are moving to online communities as a means of communicating directly with their customers, social media has to be explored as an additional communication channel between individuals and companies. While the English-speaking consumers on Facebook are more likely to respond to communication rather than to initiate communication with an organisation, some German companies already have regularly updated Facebook pages for customer service and support, e.g. Telekom. Therefore, the idea of classifying and evaluating public comments addressed to German companies is based on an existing demand. In order to maintain an active Facebook wall, the consumer posts have to be categorised and then automatically assigned to the corresponding business processes (e.g. the technical service, shipping, marketing, accounting, etc.). This service works like an issue tracking system sending e-mails to the corresponding person in charge of customer service and support. That way, business process management systems which are already used to e-mail communication can benefit from social media. This allows the company to follow general trends in customer opinions on the Internet; moreover it facilates the recording of two-sided communication for customer relationship management and the company’s response will be delivered through consumer’s preferred medium: Facebook.